Keep it a Secret
by nhbdyuknow
Summary: Love can be very, very dangerous. It can be broken, but never disintegrated. Fixed, but never perfected. It's safe to say you're in deep trouble if you ever find yourself tied up in an abandoned house with no one but your arch enemy, who also happens to be your kidnapper and...your secret lover? Whatever you do, don't snitch.
1. Chapter 1

His dark, sadistic eyes slid toward her, glazing over with lust as he strode forward. Sharp tendrils of electricity shot through her body and she began to move away. Her heart thrummed against her chest, her mind went into panic mode, and while she struggled, he watched on with glee.

Suddenly, she was slammed back against the wall and pinned beneath his iron grip. She clenched and unclenched her fists as fear nipped at her throat. His hand glided down the wall until it rested beside her waist. She stiffened at his cold touch, fingers brushing against her bare mid section in a slow, teasing manner.

His gaze traveled down and he leaned closer, whispering into her ear. "I'm never letting you go home."

Her stomach dropped. She would never go home? She would never walk down the street where she recognized every pebble and crack again? She wouldn't get to hear the chime of the bell as she strode into Koski Korner for a snack? Then she came to a realization. Nothing back home any longer sparked joy or curiousity in her. It held too many bad memories, too many hardships and tragic events. She didn't even know if she could bare to return home, not after hearing the news of her father's death. She had been here, with Brick, for so long that she couldn't even remember the names of her friends. Plus, maybe she preferred staying here.

His hot breath tickled her neck and she stiffened. He played with a piece of her hair. "But you don't want to go home...do you?"

She glanced up and held back her nerves as she met his glowing red eyes. He took his hand away from her waist and placed it against her head. His crimson hair was pulled back from his eyes and made them stand out much more. She was lost in them, obsessed with them. But something she was even more obsessed with...was inches away from her.

Her eyes fell to his lips. "You know the answer."

Instantly, he stopped playing with her hair and grabbed the back of her head, crushing their lips together. They held the kiss, not caring about their need for air, only stopping to remove clothing. Brick pulled her shirt over her head, yanked off her shorts, before diving back in. She threw her arms around his neck and grabbed onto his shoulders as she was lifted. He held onto her thighs and carried her to the bed. Dropping her onto the soft mattress, he worked on her bottoms while kissing her neck. She ran her fingers through his short hair, her chest rapidly rising and falling beneath his touch. He tore off his shirt and tossed it aside then leaned over her, squeezed up against her body.

"My bros are coming over at noon so this is gonna have to be quick." He breathed.

She nodded slowly. "I can do quick..."

He pressed a kiss to her lips then met her gaze. "What's wrong?"

Her pulse fluttered. It always felt good to know he did care, sometimes. "I still don't understand why you kidnapped me."

His eyes widened. "I told you I can't-"

"You can't tell me that. I know." She pushed him away but he caught her wrists, easing her back down.

"Don't leave." He spoke, placing gentle kisses across her neck.

She shook her head. "I'm going insane. I haven't been outside in 4 months. The only activity I've been doing is this. And I'm afraid I have Stockholm syndrome."

He propped himself up on his hands. "That's not true, you fell for me before I kidnapped you."

Her stomach sunk. "Is that what you think?"

"Yes." He stated.

She sucked in a deep breath. "I still haven't fallen for you, Brick."

He held onto the bed sheets. "What?"

"You're forcing me into something I don't want." She explained.

His gaze darkened. "You never said no to-"

"Not this." She motioned between them before looking away. "You're keeping me from seeing my family, my sisters. I have people I need to protect. A future that awaits me. A life that I'd rather not live bawled up inside this stolen house."

He cautiously shifted off of her and into a spot beside her. She released a sigh and sat up.

"I have fun with you, Brick." She spoke softly, grasping his hand. "But the way you treat me, the things you say, and the fact that you kidnapped me I just-I can't fall for-This isn't going to-" Her face twisted into an annoyed expression. "I wanna go home." She had tried to trick herself into believing staying here wasn't so bad but it was. Her sisters meant the world to her, she needed them, and they needed her.

His steaming gaze softened and he tightened his grip. "No, no because if you go home then you'll leave me."

The thing about Brick is he's super overprotective and territorial, a natural leader. He's a bossy, take-control sort of guy. But she knew how incredibly gentle and caring he could be.

She glanced down at their intertwined hands, her hope slowly diminishing. He was too attached to her. He wasn't going to accept any bargaining. No, he wanted her to stay here forever. But she needed to go home.

His muscles tensed as she slipped her fingers away.

"I can still fight." She said quietly.

He furrowed his brows. "What? Why are you-"

"If you don't let me go-" She narrowed her eyes slightly. "I'll take whatever measures I need to. I will not stay here forever."

He opened his mouth to respond when a knock at the door interrupted him. Before getting up, he caught her hand and squeezed it. "We'll figure this out." Placing a kiss on her wine red lips, he released his hold and secured her wrists in binds, then exited the bedroom.

She waited to hear the roar of the car engine as the boys headed off, then dropped to her knees and wriggled underneath the bed. Once properly situated, she brought her leg up and spread open the loose fabric of the bottom of the mattress. Using her mouth, she caught her phone and slid back out from under the bed. Brick didn't know about the phone. She had it in her bra when he kidnapped her, so when he checked her pockets he found nothing. But when she came to realize her situation, she was quick to devise a plan. Hiding her phone, she made it seem like she had no way out. She had to wait, however. Many months obviously. In the beginning she couldn't try to use her phone because Brick kept her in the basement. Eventually, she got on his good side and was trusted enough to stay in his room. That was the point when she began to fall for him, although she didn't admit it. He was so attractive, in many ways, ways she never knew about. His touch lit her on fire and she didn't want it to go away. But she couldn't forget her sisters, her home. While trying to deal with conflicted emotions, she also thought up of an escape plan. Now was the time to set it into action.

She grasped the phone with her hands and twisted her head around to see it. Scrolling through her contacts, her eyes searched for one name. Suddenly, the screen stopped as she found it. She put the phone on speaker as it dialed the number, then tossed it onto the bed and leaned closer to it.

"Hello?" Hearing his voice made a wave of relief wash over her.

"Butch, I need your help." She stayed completely still as she waited for a response.

"Oh my god...Bloss?" His voice was shaky. "Where have you been!?"

"Your brother kidnapped me...that's where I've been for the passed 3 months."

"WHAT!?" His voice was filled with utter disbelief.

"We can talk about it later, but right now I really need you to listen. He left with his friends and he usually stays out until dark which only gives us an hour at most. So you have to listen to me, okay?" She tried to keep her voice steady but the panic was setting in.

Butch released a heavy sigh. "Okay, okay we'll talk later. I'm listening."

She smiled ever so slightly at his words before beginning. "Alright, get out a piece of paper and something to write with. I'm going to give you the address." Blossom had seen an envelope on Brick's desk before, the address of the house they were in was on it.

Sounds of shuffling was all she could hear for a while. Then he returned. "I got it. Address?"

"1300 Elm street." She said.

"Elm street? Where the hell is that?"

That's what she had dreaded him saying, because she didn't know either. "I...don't know."

"You don't know? Then how am I going to-!?" There was a pause. "You got the GPS turned on?"

Her eyes widened. "Oh my god, you're a genius! Yeah, I got it turned on. So you can track my phone, right?"

"Exactly. You're using your phone?"

"Yes."

"Describe the house to me."

"Gray siding, black tiled roof, black framing and a wooden porch." Whoever lived here last had photos on the walls picturing kids standing in front of the house.

Butch sounded baffled as he said, "He's living there then. I haven't seen him in so long, he said he was going on vacation for a bit. But he's actually been with you?"

"Yes. But you need to hurry and get over here." She heard a door slam shut and almost thought it was Brick.

"Already out and heading your way." Once again, he paused. "Bloss?"

"Yeah?"

"Why don't you just use your powers to escape?"

She sucked in a breath. "Because he took them away."

She heard Butch growl. "I'll be there as soon as I can."

The second he hung up, Blossom sunk to the floor and began to cry. She might never get her powers back. What Brick did could be permanent. Butch could get hurt trying to save her. Her sisters would never see her again if she wasn't rescued. One mere factor could set the world into a tail spin and for her...that would result in the end.

She glanced at her phone and bit her lip. 'Come on Butch, don't screw this up.'

* * *

Author's Note: In case anything was confusing, things will be cleared up in following chapters. Enjoy and review!


	2. Chapter 2

Pink eyes flickered back and forth as they scanned the road for any signs of a red car. Blossom's chest had tightened with fear as she waited for Butch. It had already been 20 minutes and if he didn't arrive soon, there'd be trouble. She didn't even want to think of the possibilities that could happen if Butch showed up at the same time as Brick. Sure, they were brothers, but Brick would be so pissed. Not only because his brother wasn't on his side, but also because she had betrayed him. Who wouldn't though? He was too controlling, and that was her biggest pet peeve; other people trying to control her. She was the leader, she was the one who controlled others. That's why Brick always got on her nerves quicker than anyone else. So how did she ever fall for him?

Truth be told, she did develop feelings for her kidnapper. It was a strange, disturbing thought, but it was true. Her arch enemy kidnapped her and she bowed to his will, allowing him to take advantage. She found it to be hot and enticing. Maybe she had a thing for bad boys. Or maybe she just enjoyed the feeling of being loved. But Brick must have an alternative motive for her.

There was a light tap on the front door.

Blossom had to use the window ledge as leverage to stand up. She hurried to the bedroom door and turned her back to it. After a long struggle, she was able to shove it open and then jog to the front door. She balanced on her tip toes, peering through the glass to see who was outside. Butch's green eyes burned into hers. She checked to make sure Brick wasn't home before jamming the key into the doorknob and allowing Butch to swing it open. He instantly grabbed her shoulders.

"God, your sisters are worried sick." He muttered.

She flinched. "You've talked to them?"

"They thought Boomer and I had something to do with your disappearance...they still do." He paused, staring at her intensely, trying to avoid dropping his gaze as she was only in her bra and underwear. "Why'd you call me and not them?"

"I knew they would be too emotional and overwhelmed to carry out the plan in time." She smiled lightly. "Plus, I know I can rely on you to protect me."

Her best friend pulled her into a hug. It was a warm, loving embrace that reminded her why she so badly wanted to return home. But as much as she wanted to stay in his hold forever, Brick would be arriving soon.

She pulled away and led him to the kitchen. She nodded towards a drawer. "Small, silver key it'll-"

Suddenly, she felt the heat of laser beams on her wrists. She winced and the metal cuffs clattered to the ground.

He raised an eyebrow. "Guess being powerless for so long made you forget how they work."

She released a dry laugh and averted her gaze. "Let me grab my phone then we can get out of here."

Once she finished dressing, she went to retrieve her phone when she noticed a black box placed on the bedside table. She hadn't noticed it before, but it struck her curiosity, so she went over and picked it up. Carefully, she opened it. The second she saw the contents inside, her heart melted. A silver banded ring with a glistening red diamond sparkled up at her. Beside it was a slip of paper. She flipped it over.

I just wanted to remind you how much you truly mean to me...and how badly you want me. If you're planning on escaping, just remember I'll find you. That, or you'll come crawling back to me.

Brick

"Bloss?"

She flinched and tucked the note back into the box. "Yeah, I know."

He watched her place the closed box back on the table.

"Let's go." She said and gave him a reassuring smile, allowing him to lead the way out.

"Can I call them...and tell them to meet us somewhere?" Blossom asked.

Butch kept his eyes on the road. "You don't need my permission."

She released a sigh. "I know but...I haven't seen them in so long. Have they changed much?"

He casually shrugged. "I honestly only talked to them the one time. We kind of split apart after your dad died."

Her chest tightened. "But are they doing okay?"

The road narrowed as they continued down the dirt path. "From what I saw, and what I've heard, they're doing pretty good. They haven't given up the search though. It's got them exhausted. When they showed up at my place, they seemed angry, but not ready to fight." He took a sharp corner. "They're alive though. That's all that matters, right?"

She gripped the window ledge. "Right."

He caught her eye. "Call them."

She bit her lip and slowly reached into her pocket.

"Do you remember their number?" Butch questioned.

She stared at him, dumbfounded. "Of course. But I have them in my contacts so..."

He blinked. "Oh, yeah."

She released a laugh and started the phone call.

"EEEEEEEEEEEEEE!"

"AAAAHH!" Butch yelled in horror and the car swerved. Blossom nearly rolled out of her seat.

"BLOSSOM IS IT YOU?!"

Her lips stretched into a huge smile. "Yes, Bubbles. But don't scream like that, you're gonna scare the driver." She gave Butch a teasing look and he glared back.

"BUTTERCUP! BUTTERCUUUUUUUP!" Bubbles completely ignored the 'don't scream' statement.

There was grumbling in the background.

"THIS IS SERIOUS! GET DOWN HERE!"

Butch groaned. "Bet ya 50 bucks Butterbutt is gonna chew you out for disappearing." He smirked. "Even after you tell her you were kidnapped."

Blossom smacked his arm. "Don't pretend you don't like her."

His green eyes shot back to the road, frustration clear on his face. "I don't."

While Bubbles tried to get Buttercup, Blossom continued to taunt Butch. "Are you even capable of liking someone?"

"I like you." He stated 'matter-of-factly.'

"I DON'T CARE IF YOU'RE ABOUT TO GET A NEW HIGH SCORE!"

"Yeah but that's different. We're friends." Blossom spoke. "I'm talking love. Do you love Buttercup?"

"I'll unplug it!" Bubbles shouted. There was the sound of things falling. "You wouldn't dare!"

"No." Butch said.

Blossom leaned closer to him, watching his expression. He wasn't lying. "Then who do you love?"

Something clicked and glass shattered. "WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU!"

Butch blinked, devoid of emotion. "Who says I love anyone."

Blossom folded her arms. "No one. But I know you do."

He stole a peak at her. "It's not Buttercup."

She shifted even closer. "Then who is it?"

His eyes met hers.

"IT'S BLOSSOM!" Dead silence. "Blossom is on the phone."

Butch bit his cheek. Blossom returned her attention to the phone.

"Blossom?" Buttercup whispered.

"Hey BC." Blossom responded quietly.

"Oh my-" She inhaled sharply. "-FUCKING GOD WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN!?"

The red haired girl wiped away a tear that barely made it passed her cheek. "It's kind of a long story. I promise I'll explain everything but-" She tried to steady her heart beat. "You need to meet me at Hotdog On A Skewer."

"Wait when and ho-?!"

"Right now." Blossom interrupted her sister.

"I can't wait to see you!" Bubbles squealed. "Come on Buttercup! Let's go right now!"

Blossom smiled at her anxious sister's words.

Buttercup groaned. "Alright, we'll be there ASAP." She paused. "And another thing..."

"Yeah?" Blossom asked

"Don't disappear again, Leader Girl." And she hung up the phone.

* * *

Author's Note: In case you're wondering why Butch used a car to pick up Blossom when he has superpowers...there really isn't much of a valid reason that I could think up of, it simply sets a better scene for when Blossom first talks to her sisters again.


	3. Chapter 3

"It was finally the right time for me to call Butch and get out of that hell hole. So I did." Blossom finished her explanation.

Bubbles' eyes were wide. "So you don't know how you got there?"

Blossom shook her head. "It was the evening we went out to party, remember? I only had one drink but...he must have spiked it at some point. I was feeling nauseas so I stepped outside and that's when things got blurry."

Buttercup glanced at Butch. "And you're sure he didn't have anything to do with it?"

The two greens shared a nasty glare.

"Yes, Buttercup." Blossom stated. "He helped me."

Butch crossed his arms. "It'd do you good to respect me a little more now that I proved myself."

Buttercup scoffed. "I ain't trusting a no good Rowdyruff who's ego is bigger than the whole he crawled out of."

Blossom pinched the bridge of her nose. "This really isn't a good time, Buttercup."

She threw her arms up. "Why are you putting the blame on me!? He's the one who's being an ass."

Butch kicked her under the table and she stood up, furious.

"You're not helping!" Blossom scolded him. "

Buttercup didn't return to her seat. "Why are you allies with him!?"

Blossom tried to calm her sister down. "We're friends, not allies. There's a difference." When boiling green eyes mets hers, she restated. "He's not a bad guy, Buttercup. You need to chill."

Butch slung his arm over the booth. "Yeah, listen to your sister B-cup."

Bubbles and Blossom released a heavy sigh as Buttercup shot across the table and wrestled her counterpart to the ground. Fortunately, there weren't any other customers around to witness the childish behavior.

Bubbles rested her chin in her hands. "Blossom?"

The red haired girl looked up.

"Do you think Brick will find you and hurt you?" Her bright blue eyes were filled with worry.

Blossom couldn't ignore the gut-wrenching feeling in her stomach at the thought of Brick finding her. She remembered the note he left. It was definitely possible for him to find her again. But he wouldn't be able to hurt her, right? She still had her sisters and Butch by her side. Then again, there was no way in hell she would let her sisters get hurt. She didn't want Butch to get hurt either. He meant a lot to her...maybe too much. So where did that leave her? Who else could possibly protect her?

"Blossom?"

No, she couldn't protect herself. Not anymore. Not after the things her and Brick did. She just couldn't. Every time she looked into those blazing red eyes she would fall into a trance. Lust. That's what it was. She couldn't fight back because she needed him, needed him for certain things. But, there are other people in the world. So many other people. So many better people. Why couldn't she be with someone else? Was there something particular about Brick? About what he could do, to her? Was it fear? Fear that Brick could reveal secrets about her to the world. Fear that he would hurt the people close to her. Fear that he would die or she would die, before either of them were able to figure out what these feelings they felt for each other were.

"Blossom!"

She blinked and set her sights on her blonde haired sister. Her gaze traveled to where Buttercup and Butch had been, but now a crowd stood in their place. All eyes were on the pink eyed leader.

"You're back?"

"Where did you go!?"

"Can I have your autograph?"

"What happened?"

"Are you still a super hero?"

"Blossom!"

"Blossom!"

Bubbles took her sister's hand. "Let's get out of here."

They were able to escape the crowd and disappear into an alley, where the two greens were waiting. Surprisingly, they were no longer trying to kill each other.

Buttercup shook her head in dismay. "This has been going on ever since you left. It's been all over the news."

"Global." Bubbles added.

Blossom furrowed her brows. What would she tell the reporters? They needed some sort of response, a reason for her disappearance. She for sure wouldn't tell them the truth, but what else could she say?

"We should take you home. You'll probably wanna change out of those clothes." Buttercup stated.

Blossom glanced down at herself. She was wearing the black jeans she had been kidnapped in, along with one of Brick's red hoodies. Seeing herself in his clothes, when she had finally escaped him, it disgusted her. She felt extremely guilty for letting him take advantage of her. For letting him-

Her heart skipped a beat. "Girls."

Bubbles and Buttercup stared at her. "What?"

"I forgot to tell you something." She tucked a loose curl behind her ear. "Brick took away my powers, too."

Instead of shouting and freaking out, both girls just blinked.

Then Bubbles raised an eyebrow. "Do you know what he used to take them away?"

Blossom could still feel the ache in her arm from the needle. "Antidote X."

Bubbles' grinned. "So all we have to do is inject you with Chemical X to reverse the effects."

All three heroes frowned at the blonde.

Bubbles put her hands on her hips. "What? Don't you remember when we were 5 and had that big slumber party? Mojo dressed like a girl and dumped Antidote X on us. Then we temporarily lost our powers for a few days."

Blossom smiled. "Oh yeah! So because Brick used a needle, he was able to put the Antidote X in my bloodstream making it seemingly 'permanent.' But the Professor did a test and found that if you give us a dosage of Chemical X it reverses the effects."

Buttercup snorted. "When did you get so smart?"

Bubbles shrugged happily.

The leader puff was extremely anxious to get her powers back. "There's still some Chemical X back at the house, right?"

Both girls paused and shot a glare at Butch, who rubbed his neck guiltily. "About that...I sorta stole all of it."

Blossom's eyes filled with bloodlust and she threw her arms up. "What the hell why!?"

"Because Brick told me a long time ago that it would make my arms bigger, kinda like steroids." He stated.

"Did you use it all!?"

Butch flinched at her rage and was extremely relieved that he hadn't used it all. "No."

Blossom took a deep breath. "Then I need whatever you have left."

He nodded. "I'll take you to my place."

Blossom turned to her sisters.

"Can you girls try to find a syringe and meet me at Butch's?"

"Sure thing, leader girl." Buttercup responded.

Blossom watched as her sisters shot away before Butch scooped her up into his arms. He smirked down at her flustered face. "Don't worry, I won't drop you." Then they took off into the sky.


	4. Chapter 4

Butch placed Blossom onto the ground, eyes alight with amusement.

"Thanks for the lift." She muttered, a light blush spreading across her cheeks.

He adjusted his imaginary tie. "Of course, I am a gentleman."

She chuckled as he opened the door for her.

"After you, my lady." He spoke formally.

"How very generous of you, my sir." She curtsied and stepped into the house. To her surprise, Butch and Boomer had done some remodeling since the last time she had been there. Holes in the walls, dirty laundry thrown all about, crumbs and wrappers emptied over the couch, it really was a new house. Because Brick hadn't been there to keep things in order.

Blossom bit her lip at the thought of her counterpart. She was beginning to get more and more worried that he would find her. Which, of course, he would. But how it would play out is what truly got to her.

"So where is it?" She asked.

Butch made his way upstairs and motioned for her to follow. "There wasn't a ton of it at your house to begin with, but half of what I was able to snag is gone." They walked into his bedroom, that part of the house hadn't changed.

"Will it be enough?" Blossom watched him squat down and open the drawers of his bedside table.

He lifted up a large round bottle. Filled to the tip of it was the black liquid called Chemical X. "You tell me."

She sighed in relief. "That's definitely plenty." Taking it from his grasp, she frowned. "What if it doesn't work?"

He didn't bother to close the drawers and stood up. "Why wouldn't it?"

Her pink eyes flashed with doubt. "I don't know...I just have a bad feeling."

"Not about getting your powers back, but of Brick getting you back." He stated.

She looked up at him in shock, speechless.

His green gaze softened. "I know you better than you think, Pinky. But trust me when I say we'll fix all of this." He took her hands in his. "Together."

Her heart beat quickened and she glanced down at their intertwined hands. His touch was cold, but warm at the same time. It was a perfect balance. Just like his grip. He didn't hold onto her too tight and he didn't pull her towards him. He was more cautious than Brick, not so controlling. He was actually kind of...gentle.

"Butch..." She spoke softly as he stared into her eyes. The passion and want was evident in those emerald irises.

He brushed his thumbs over the top of her hands. "I thought you already knew."

She frowned slightly, then sighed. "I guess I did, but with Brick always trying my patience, and everyone thinking it was counterparts with counterparts, I didn't think about it enough."

He nodded. "Yeah, I get that." His eyebrows knit together. "Do you even feel the same?"

Her face fell. "Butch I do like you, really I do, and yeah it could be possible but right now? After having dealt with Brick? I don't think I'm quite ready." Liar. She's had feelings for Butch since sophomore year. His sense of humor always made her smile, he had her complete trust, he was incredibly attractive, and the chemistry between them was strong. So why didn't she say yes? Why didn't she admit she likes him?

'Because your mind is on Brick. Brick would never allow you to be with Butch. Brick could hurt the people you love. Brick could hurt Butch.'

She had to avert her gaze.

"I know you're bullshitting me." He stated, staring at their hands. "But as long as you think about it and give me a chance...then you can bullshit me all you want."

His words made her release a warm laugh. "You never fail to brighten the mood, huh?"

He gave her a cocky grin. "Guess I'm just that amazing."

She opened her mouth to respond when there was a knock on the front door. Butch carried the bottle of Chemical X as they went downstairs. As expected, Buttercup and Bubbles were at the steps. Blossom arched an eyebrow at the box of syringes Bubbles had.

"I only need one." The red haired girl stated.

Buttercup strode into the house. "Yeah, we know. But just in case theres a dud we have extras."

Blossom twisted her face in confusion but didn't say anything.

"So how are we gonna do this?" Butch asked.

All four teens gathered into the kitchen. Bubbles picked out a syringe and washed it in the sink. Butch handed her the Chemical X and she filled it up.

"Where did he put the needle?" Bubbles asked.

Blossom furrowed her brows, staring at her arm. "Pretty sure it was my wrist."

Then, without warning, there was a small prick in her vein and it was over. She rubbed the tender area. "Do you think it'll take effect soon?"

Bubbles nodded. "It's already spread throughout your bloodstream."

"Geez, are you gonna become a nurse?" Buttercup teased.

Blossom chuckled. "You'd be good at it. Now let's head home."

Her sisters made their way out the door, but Butch caught Blossom's arm before she could leave.

His green eyes held concern. "You sure you don't wanna stay here or something? Brick is definitely looking for you."

She carefully slipped away from his grasp and gave him a reassuring smile. "It's okay, Butch. My sisters and I will be fine." She placed a gentle kiss on his cheek. "Promise."

As bad as he wanted to make her stay, he allowed her to leave. And as he went upstairs to his bedroom, he could still feel her scorching hot lips on his skin.


	5. Chapter 5

It hurt unlike any other pain she had ever felt. It made her breathless and empty, lost in a world of disbelief. She had heard the news, caught a glimpse in the newspaper, but still it hadn't quite registered. He was gone. He wasn't coming back, ever. EVER. She would never hear his calming, soothing voice as he read her and her sisters a bedtime story. Nor would she see his proud smile when they returned home from fighting a villain, from doing good in school, or for simply being his daughters. No. He wouldn't get to show them how delighted he was. Their lives would never be as bright without their father. The only person who had stood by their side and loved them since the day they were born. The man who created them. Who knew them better than they knew themselves. He was in another place now. He was erased from this cruel world.

Blossom dropped to her knees, clutching a photo to her chest. It was a picture of all four of them, a happy family. But now, now, she was the opposite of happy. She was devastated and heartbroken. What was wrong with her? She had allowed Brick to hold her captive instead of helping her father? Instead of keeping her father from being slaughtered by a hideous beast?! WHY? WHY WAS SHE SO STUPID?

Tears spilled down her cheeks and she buried her face into the blankets of her bed. Everything ached. Her head was pounding. Sobs desperately wanted to be released but she held them back. Life was pointless. Her world was falling apart. She hated herself so, SO, much. It was her god damn fault! She let her father die! She was the one who wasn't there! How could her sisters even stand to look at her anymore?!

"Fuck you." She muttered, an image of Brick appearing before her. "FUCK YOU!" She threw her bedside table at the wall and it caved in. "You son of a bitch! You ruined everything, EVERYTHING! I'll never see my dad again, I'll never get another guy in my life, I can never be with Butch, I can never be free, I'll never have my powers, and I'll never be HAPPY!"

Suddenly, everything stopped and she stared at the broken wall. Her stomach flipped. "Oh my god..." Bubbles was right. Her powers, they were back! She had her powers back! "BUBBLES!"

She spent an hour simply flying around townsville, testing out her powers and making sure everything was in tact, before returning home. Her heart still hurt and she had to hold back tears, but a spark of joy was all she needed to keep her head up and now she had it.

It was late at night when she tucked herself into bed. So many thoughts and pictures ran through her mind as she drifted to sleep, but soon enough she was out.

A strong breeze snapped her out of her slumber. Her eyelids were heavy as she looked up. One of her circular windows was open. She rubbed her eyes and pulled the sheets off her body. It was a hot night so she was only sleeping in her undergarments, but she didn't want the windows open because she already had AC. She slid the window shut and glanced over her shoulder. Pink eyes scanned the room, looking for any sign of an intruder. Her gaze fell on her bed and she moved back towards it, ready to sleep. Suddenly, an arm snaked around her waist and she was flipped around. She was slammed down and pinned beneath a tall figure. Her breath halted in her throat as she stared into a pair of furious red irises.

"Didn't I say I'd find you?" He growled.

Fear settled low in her stomach and she began to struggle. "You kidnapped me against my will!"

He captured her wrists and pushed them into the bed. "You didn't resist me."

She clenched her fists. "You drugged me!"

"Deny it right now." He stated, staring into her eyes so intensely that she froze. "Deny that you don't have feelings for me."

Her mouth opened but nothing came out. God, she was so pissed, so overwhelmed, so-

He pressed his lips against hers and immediately his hands began to wander. She so badly wanted to give in and let him have what he wanted, what she wanted, but her heart was broken and her world was ruined...all because of him.

She shoved him away and got to her feet. Her eyes burned with rage. "How dare you! How fucking dare you!" She grabbed him by the collar of his shirt, the amusement in his gaze only fueling her flames. "You kidnapped me and took me from my dad! If I had been here, if my sisters had a plan and a sense of leadership, then he would still be alive today! You ruined everything you stupid, worthless, filthy piece of shit!" She slammed him against the wall, not caring that it created cracks. "You took away my powers! Took away my innocence! Took away my dad! Took away my future! And worst of all...you took away my only shot at happiness!" She threw him onto the ground, her face red hot. "Now you come here and try to have sex with me!? You don't care about me! You don't care about anyone! You just want to ruin my life! Well I'm not fucking okay with that! This isn't your life to fuck with, it's mine! You don't get to stride in here and take whatever you want! Don't you ever EVER try to mess with my life!"

He slowly got up and looked her in the eye. His amusement had vanished, but he was still furious. "You're my counterpart, we were made for each other, so yes your life actually is mine. I can do whatever the fuck I want to you." She was about to snap so he quickly continued. "Just as my life is yours and you can fuck with it all you want. We belong to each other, got it? Theres no alpha anymore. I don't want to make you feel weak and like I'm fucking with your world." He grabbed her hands and she instantly pulled away. "God, I love you SO much! Of course I care about you!" He grit his teeth. "But at the same time, you can't be playing these games anymore. You can't run from me, Red, just face it."

She poked him in the chest, hard. "And just what makes you think I'll obey you?! You're the reason for my dad's death!"

He ran a hand through his hair, his hat had fallen onto the ground. "Bloss, I didn't kill your dad. That monster did. I wasn't responsible for it. Your sisters need to learn to fight without you because you can't always be there."

His words were true, but she still couldn't calm the rage bursting within her. "The three of us were created together, we are meant to stay together! Sorry if you and your brothers don't have the same relationship!"

A dull ache began to throb against Brick's skull. "Listen to me okay!? All I'm trying to say is I didn't mean to make your life miserable, I didn't mean for all of this shit to happen, and to be honest...I never wanted to kidnap you. I just didn't know how else to get you because I saw other guys at school eying you. I'm an overprotective guy, I know. But when you fell asleep at night, don't tell me you didn't think about me. Don't tell me you didn't see that I could be a good guy."

Her heart skipped a beat. She always had thought about him. Sometimes she pictured what their future would look like, or how amazed everyone would be at the new person he had become. But he didn't become a new person, that was just who he was. Which made it even better.

"Everything you're saying is true." She forced out. "But that doesn't mean I agree with it. Just because I fell in love with you before doesn't mean I'll do it again."

His eyes widened. "So you admit it? You love me?"

"Did." She growled. "Until you started taking control and being a selfish dick."

He shook his head. "You make no sense. You told me you still hadn't fallen for me, then you say you did fall for me, now you're saying that you have no longer fallen for me."

Her lips twitched into a smirk at seeing his frustration. "You're the one who's causing me to make no sense." She paused. "Are you...bipolar?"

His face paled. "What?!"

"Are. You. Bipolar? Because you used to want to kill me, then you loved me so much you kidnapped me, then you hated me again and used me, now you're trying to say you still love me." She blinked. "Or do you have a split personality disorder?"

He narrowed his eyes. "If you're trying to be funny-"

She crossed her arms. "Oh learn to lighten up, would you? Butch is more relaxed than you."

Immediately, she regretted her words. Brick's face darkened. "Speaking of my brother...I know he helped you escape."

Her stomach dropped. "Erm, what?"

He stepped closer to her. "I was tracking his phone the whole time."

"But-"

"I knew the relationship you guys had and I figured you would eventually reach out to him...somehow. So anytime I left, I tracked his phone, until finally he came to the rescue." He grabbed her chin. "Tell me I'm wrong."

She narrowed her eyes. "This is exactly what I'm talking about. You're trying to control me! Stop doing that! Do you have any idea how fucking annoying you are?"

He shrugged. "I'm surprised thats what worries you the most, not the fact that I snuck into your house at night and tried to fuck you."

Her face dropped. "Get out."

His eyes sparkled. "Make me."

She shoved him and he caught her arms, quickly stealing a kiss. It was impossible for her to resist him.

He pulled away and stared down at her beautiful red lips. "I'm moving back in with my brothers and hopefully, if you know whats good for you, you'll forget about Butch and come back to me."

He stepped back but she didn't let him escape. She grabbed his shoulders and forced a second kiss onto his lips, which he gladly returned. When they parted, she glared at him. "You've done some horrible shit, so has Butch. The difference is he's made up for his mistakes. And if you do the same, I'll consider being with you."

He grinned and slipped away from her. "Challenge accepted, babe." Then he disappeared through the window.

Blossom clenched her teeth. "Damn it, why does love have to be so complicated?" And she tried to fall back asleep.


	6. Chapter 6

Her alarm clock buzzed and she fluttered her eyes open, the heavy weight of exhaustion crushing her. She smashed the snooze and let her head fall back against the pillow. No way was she getting up yet.

The door squeaked. "Your alarm went off."

She refused to open her eyes. "I know."

The sound of feet padding across the carpet filled the room. "We're supposed to go shopping, remember?"

Her mouth was forced open into a yawn. "Yeah."

Bubbles shook her gently. "Well you gotta get up now so we can get there as soon as it opens!"

"What time is it?" She murmured.

"I set your alarm for 6."

Blossom growled. "6 in the morning?!"

"Yes. The mall opens at 8."

"Bubbles you ready yet?" A high pitched voice called from the hallway.

Blossom finally looked up at her sister. "Who's that?"

"My friend, Jennifer." She clasped her hands behind her back. "I told you about her before."

The red haired leader rubbed her eyes. "Uh huh." She released a sigh. "Bubbles, I got barely any sleep last night." That was true. "And I don't feel very good." That was semi true. "You and Jessica should go without me. Maybe I'll meet up with you later. Okay?"

"Its Jennifer..." Then she threw her arms up. "Blossom you have to go!"

"No Bubbles I really don't wanna right now." She put more authority in her tone.

Her blonde sister frowned and crossed her arms. "Fine. But you better come with to the pizzeria tonight."

Blossom nodded. "Okay, I will."

Once Bubbles left, Blossom let her mind go blank and she fell back asleep.

"Rough night, huh?"

Blossom's eyes shot open and she yanked the blankets up to her chest, prepared to fend off a certain red head who wanted to get in her pants. She stared into two emerald eyes and a wave of relief washed over her.

He blinked. "Nightmares?"

She sighed. "Yeah, nightmares."

The sun was high in the sky and glaring through her open window. Butch glanced over at it. "Why'd you open that? It was below 30 last night."

Blossom slowly sat up. "I have...ice powers, so I'm kind of immune you know?"

Butch shrugged. "I guess." He leaned back against the wall. "Your sister's are gone."

She ran her fingers through her burgundy hair. "I know." A cold breeze swept passed her and she shivered, both from the wind and thoughts of last night. "So why are you here?"

He shoved his hands in his pockets nonchalantly. "No reason."

She narrowed her eyes, catching the mischievous glimmer in his green irises. "Well I need to change."

He nodded and left the room, shocking her. She was so used to Brick's careless, perverted manner. If she needed to change, he would stay and enjoy the show. If she asked him to leave, he'd tell her to leave her clothes off.

Blossom joined Butch in the living room. He bit into an apple. "You're quick."

She rolled her eyes. "It's not like I'm going anywhere."

He chuckled. "About that...I was gonna take you to the race track."

She blinked. "What?"

"You know, where cars drive around really fast and-"

"I know what it is, I'm not an idiot." She frowned. "But I don't really care for watching cars race."

He beamed. "Good thing we won't be watching."

Her heart skipped a beat. "Huh?"

"No way." She smiled down at the slick, black sports car. Inside the seats were black with a dark green stripe and the controls were glistening. She ran her hand along the door. It was cold and smooth.

"Guess who owns it." Butch stated.

Her eyes widened.

"Me." He bragged.

She was amazed. "It's so cool! How fast does it go?"

"As fast as you want." He grinned.

Her eyes were a lit with excitement and she slid into the driver's seat, placing her hands on the thick steering wheel. She fit perfectly.

"Wanna give it a go?" He asked.

She nodded quickly. "Hell yea!"

He tossed her the keys. "The track leads underground so be careful of the narrow passage." He took a step back. "And you're racing Brent, just so you know."

Blossom's stomach dropped. "I'm racing?"

Butch smirked down at her. "Good luck." Then he slammed the car door shut.

She nervously plugged the key into the ignition and shifted into high speed. Her gaze flickered to the side and she spotted a red sports car, who's driver was casually holding the wheel with one hand. She narrowed her eyes. Hell no. This guy was NOT going to assume she was an easy competitor.

The flag girl stepped out and both racers revved their engines. The flag went down and the cars sped off.

Blossom snapped her wheel to the left as she took a sharp turn, already ahead of Brent. She glanced up at her rear view mirror to see how far behind the red sports car was, and a pair of crimson eyes glowed from the drivers seat. She gasped and nearly crashed into the wall, not realizing she had entered the underground passage. Her heart pounded against her chest as she tried to regain control, but she was going too fast. She saw the turn up ahead but her limbs were frozen. She stared up into the rear view mirror once more only to find that the red sport's car had a tinted windshield. She shook her head, trying to erase the thought of her counterpart. She was seeing things, god she was going insane. The turn came up and she drifted through it, oblivious to what she was doing. Once out of the turn, she saw the long tunnel that stretched back to high grounds. Her foot pressed down on the gas and the car streaked through the darkness and out of the underground track. Now out of the passage, there was room to pass and Brent slammed on his gas. He crept around her side and edged in front. She met his speed and refused to let him pass her. They were at a tie, front ends lined up, and at their maximum speed. She looked over at the car beside her and yet again, saw a tinted window. How in the hell did she see Brick earlier? What if he really was in there? What if he was there to hurt Butch? No, because last night he said he was moving back in with his brothers. But he also said she had to come back to him. Yet Butch was so funny, and cool, and devilishly handsome. Both of them were incredibly good looking and attractive. How could she choose?

During her thoughts, she had accidentally let off the gas and Brent whizzed passed her, crossing the finish line. She followed behind before parking the car and pulling the keys out. Butch was waiting outside.

"I tried." She said, guilty.

He gave her a toothy grin. "You almost beat the best racer in Townsville and you've never driven a sports car before. I'd say that's pretty awesome."

"Pretty _fucking_ awesome."

Blossom whipped her head around.

A black haired, hooded guy with crisp blue eyes strode over to her.

"I've never seen a girl race before, especially not like that." The guy spoke.

Butch noticed Blossom's confused expression and said, "This is Brent. The guy you nearly beat."

Brent extended his fist out to Blossom and she cautiously bumped it. "You should be a full time racer."

Blossom blinked, then released a laugh. "I don't know if you're aware, but I'm kinda the hero around here. I can't participate in something like this."

Brent furrowed his brows. "Why not?"

"Because it's illegal." She stated blatantly.

Butch snickered. "She's a goody two shoes."

She glared. "No I'm not! If I were then I wouldn't have done this at all." Her phone vibrated. It was a text from Bubbles. "Shit."

"What?" Butch asked.

She pinched the bridge of her nose. "I totally forgot that Bubbles wants me to go join her for pizza. I blew her off this morning so I can't miss out on this."

Butch crossed his arms. "You blew her off? I thought you were a nice sister."

Her anger returned. "God, you're making me as mad as Brick does!"

He paled. "Bloss, I didn't mean to-"

She covered her mouth. "Oh my god, I'm sorry. That's not what I meant."

Brent stuffed his hands into his pockets. "Well I'll catch you guys later." He winked at Blossom before taking off in his car.

Butch sighed. "He's kind of an ass."

She chuckled. "So are you."

He smiled.

"I have to head over there right now. But we can hang out tomorrow, if you want?" She stated.

His eyes lit up. "I already got the perfect idea of what we can do."

She handed him the keys back. "As long as it's not another race."

He shook his head with a laugh.

She embraced him quickly and pulled away with a smile. "Bye." Then she took off into the sky.

"He's so CUTE though!" Bubbles squealed. "How can I not instantly fall for him?"

Jennifer twirled a strand of brown hair around her finger. "Oh my gosh, I know. But he doesn't have a personality."

Bubble's eyes went wide. "Yes he does!"

Buttercup rolled her eyes. "Not a single guy around here has a personality." She was slouched down in her seat, fiddling with her straw.

Blossom glanced at her impatient sister. "Is something wrong?"

Bubbles and Jennifer continued to chat about the 'cute boy.'

Buttercup blinked. "No...why would something be wrong?"

Blossom stared into her sister's eyes and could tell that the girl truly wasn't distressed in any way, besides being hungry. "I don't know, just making sure."

Buttercup sat up. "Is something wrong with _you_?"

The pink puff shook her head. "I'm fine."

Buttercup narrowed her eyes. "You sure? Because I know you're probably scared that Brick will find you and hurt you again..." She paused. "What exactly did he do to hurt you? Besides kidnapping you."

Blossom stiffened. She had never told her sisters, or anyone, about her and Brick having sex. She left that part out because...well because it was private information and she didn't want people knowing. Not to mention it was consensual sex. Meaning she allowed Brick to do what he did. She didn't tell him no. She didn't push him away. She willingly had sex with him and hated to admit that she enjoyed it. It disgusted her because she still starved for him. Even though he hurt her.

He scarred her.

And she could never forget.

"He hurt me. A few times." She said quietly.

 _Her wrists were pinned in his solid grip. She could feel the hard outline of his abs against her bare stomach, that's how close he was. His eyes were burning with hunger. Heat radiated from his body and she knew he was in an aggressive state. He crushed his lips against hers. As forceful as it was, there was still softness behind it. But that didn't last long. He trailed kisses across her fragile skin and removed the remaining clothing from her body. He grabbed her by the hips and pulled her closer. His grip was dangerously tight and he wasn't gentle. He continued to be rough the entire night and in the morning, Blossom found bruises on her hips. Bruises on her neck, on her stomach, her thighs, and her breasts. She knew most of them were hickies, which usually wouldn't be painful. But Brick had made it painful, as he did everything else. And for one of the first times, she feared him when he entered the room._

That lasted a week and then he started being careful with her. She kept him in line for long enough, but he would have his moments when he _needed_ to be aggressive and _needed_ to hurt her. He was a villain, it was in his blood.

Of course she was never afraid of him before. But without her powers, she couldn't do anything. Plus, he had found her weakness. Lust. She had never experienced it before Brick so when she finally did, it was powerful and uncontrollable, giving Brick his second advantage over her. Now, however, he could not make her fear him.

"What do you mean?" Buttercup asked.

Blossom shrugged. "He's a villain and we're enemies. What do you think?" She regretted saying anything. "I'm fine though, really."

Buttercup released a heavy sigh. "If you say so."

Blossom slid out of her chair. "I gotta go to the bathroom, be right back."

She stared at herself in the mirror, wondering how she could ever choose between Butch and Brick. It was an impossible decision. Yet at the same time it was obvious. She didn't really have to go to the bathroom, she just needed time to recompose herself. It had been a horrible day for her. All that was on her mind was Brick and no matter what she did she couldn't get it to stop.

"Fuck it. I'm supposed to be having a good time with my sisters. I'm not going to worry about him right now." She took a deep breath before walking out the door.

The bathrooms at the pizzeria had a broken pipe so she had to walk across the street to use the bar's bathroom. It was located in the back and she decided to take the exit that lead to the alley. She didn't want to walk through a bunch of drunk people.

She rolled her sleeves down as she stepped into the chilly night air. She approached the corner and the second she went around it, two arms wrapped around her waist and yanked her back into the alley. She was whipped around and a pair of lips were pressed onto hers. Her mind went into panic mode but she knew who's arms she was in and the want was unbearable. She returned the kiss and clutched onto his shirt, pulling him as close as possible. Last night she was able to resist but after thinking about him all day, she couldn't hold it back. She needed to have him right now.

He broke away. "Did you miss me?"

His red eyes sparkled and she melted beneath his gaze. She stole another kiss. "Don't talk."

She continued to kiss him and run her fingers through his soft, short hair.

He grabbed her chin and eased her away, loving how her face twisted into confusion. "We can...but first you have some explaining to do."

Her breathing halted. "What?"

He slipped his hand around to the back of her head and ran his thumb along her jawline, his eyes set on her lips. "Who's the guy that raced you?"

She winced. "H-how do you know about that?"

He rolled his eyes. "Because I've been following you. That's not important though. What is important, is that you stay away from him."

Her stomach dropped. "I don't even know him."

"Exactly."

"Exactly? How is that-?"

He pressed a kiss to her lips. "Just stay away from him, got it?"

She crossed her arms.

"Please?" He asked.

A small smile crept onto her face and she sighed. "Fine. But I wasn't going to hang around him anyway, Butch said he's an ass."

Brick frowned. "You're going to let your feelings for him go, right?"

She bit her lip and he grinned. He grabbed her waist and pulled her against him, forcing his lips onto hers and muffling her startled gasp. She immediately kissed back and tangled her arms around his neck. She pulled his hat off and held it in her hand, using her other hand to hold his face. He let his fingers brush under her shirt. His warm skin felt amazing against her cold body.

He rested his forehead against hers. "You love me, don't you?"

She could feel his hot breath on her neck as she shut her eyes. "Brick I-"

"If you don't love me then you don't love my brother." He spoke.

She made a face of bewilderment. "That's not true-"

He raised an eyebrow. "So you do love me?"

"No I-"

He smirked. "I get it, Red, I do. I'm a villain so you can't ever fall in love with me. We were made to kill each other so of course that means we could never love each other." He took a step away from. "Except, I love you."

She reached out and he dodged her touch. "Brick-"

He held her gaze. "I saved a country today, from a terrorist attack. I save 3 million people and I haven't committed a crime since kidnapping you." He didn't look away.

She was silent.

He stole his hat back and placed it on his head. "Think about what I've done for you and figure out who you're going to choose." With that, he turned and walked into the shadows.

Blossom wiped away an unexpected tear and faced away from where Brick had stood. She took a minute to calm herself before heading the opposite way of her counterpart, hoping she could make a choice before she saw him again. And knowing him, she would see him very, very soon.


	7. Chapter 7

"What're you doing here?" Boomer asked curiously as he stared at the girl on his doorstep. Blossom Utonium stood outside in the pouring rain, looking exhausted and guilty. He took a step back to let her in.

She pulled down her hood and her burgundy curls cascaded over her shoulders. "Butch invited me over."

Boomer nodded, running a hand through his shaggy blonde hair. "Want a drink or something?"

She shook her head and took a seat on the couch. "I'm good thanks."

He shrugged and sat beside her. "Brick is moving back in with us today."

"I know." She stated.

Boomer blinked. "How do you know?"

Her face paled. "Um...I meant to say oh."

He eyed her suspiciously.

She released a nervous sigh. "Butch told me."

Boomer raised an eyebrow. "When were you with him?"

"Yesterday." She stated.

He frowned. "But he had a football game going on all day."

Her mouth went dry. "Uh, the game got canceled."

"Why?"

"There was a thunderstorm." She lied, praying Boomer would buy it.

The blue eyed boy blinked. "Oh. I was playing video games downstairs, guess I missed it."

She nodded. "Yeah, guess so." She glanced at the stairs. "Where is he?"

Boomer followed her gaze and smirked deviously. "In his room...but I'd give him a sec if I were you."

She cocked her head to the side. "Why? What's he doing?"

A chuckle escaped the blue ruff. "What all guys do for fun."

Her stomach sunk. "Is he-um-having sex?"

Boomer laughed. "No, but he's getting as close to sex as he ever will."

"What?" She shouted.

He stood up and called to his brother. "BUTCH! BLOSSOMS HERE!"

Instantly, there was a crash and then the door slammed open. Butch stepped out, looking flustered and embarrassed. His face was red and his hair was a mess, he looked like he had just ran a marathon.

Blossom glanced downwards and blushed furiously, covering her mouth to hold back laughter. Butch's pants had apparently gotten too small for him.

"HAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHHHA!" Boomer rolled onto the floor, jabbing a finger in Butch's direction. "YOU GOT A BONER!"

Butch clenched his fists. "BOOMER SHUT UP!"

Blossom collapsed onto the couch and burst out laughing. She felt horribly guilty, but it was just too funny.

The black haired ruff growled and returned to his room, punching the wall on his way.

Blossom took a minute to regain her composure and catch her breath before getting to her feet. "I can't believe I didn't get what you were trying to say."

Boomer wiped away tears. "I guess you really are a goody two shoes."

A dangerous smirk crossed her lips. "Oh I wouldn't be so sure about that." She heard another crash and winced. Her face fell. "I think we actually hurt him."

Boomer threw himself back on the couch. "I don't think so. He's pretty tough." His eyes flashed with sadness. "Unlike me."

Blossom sympathized the blue ruff. "That's not true. I think you've all just got your own special talents. Brick is smart, Butch is strong, and you're-" She paused, thinking. "Both of those things combined!"

He gave her a look that said 'I don't believe you.'

She dropped her shoulders. "Boomer, you're a really sweet guy and you know how to fight. You might not be as smart or strong as your brothers but you're just as much helpful as they are."

He shrugged. "You should probably go talk to your boyfriend."

She frowned. "He's not-" Her mouth snapped shut and she shook her head. "If Brick shows up, I'm not here."

His response was a grunt. Blossom glared and made her way upstairs.

She knocked lightly before entering. She spoke softly. "I didn't mean to make fun of you."

He was pulling a black hoodie over his head. "It's fine." He ruffled his hair, green eyes locked on hers. "Wanna go somewhere? I'd rather not be here when Brick shows up."

She closed the door and looked to the floor. "I'm sorry."

"For what?"

Her chest hurt. "For getting you into this mess. If you hadn't have rescued me then you and Brick would still be brothers. I screwed it all up."

Butch stared at her like she was crazy. "Brick and I are still brothers, we're just going to have some talking to do. And if I hadn't have rescued you then you would still be with Brick...and you'd probably be with him forever. Do you have any idea what kind of impact that would have on the world, on your sisters?"

She sighed. "I guess you're right. But I still feel really bad."

He shrugged. "It's all good. Don't worry about it." He smirked and slid his window open. "Now let's get outta here."

"Long time no see." Brent said as he threw open the door and motioned for Butch and Blossom to come in. Butch grinned and went inside. Blossom cautiously followed behind, locking eyes with Brent, who reeked of pot. The music was so loud that the house trembled and the only light on was the one on the DJ booth. The main entrance was crowded with people who were dancing. In the kitchen, there was a group of guys downing shots. The living room was taken up by the PDA professionals. And the hallways were already filled.

"Where are we supposed to go?" She asked, having to shout over the music.

Butch took her by the hand. "Downstairs. There's a lot more space and not so many people."

She glanced at their intertwined fingers and her heart fluttered. "Okay."

He lead her through the hoards of people and down the stairway. They closed the basement door to shut out the music then walked passed the cellar and into the living room area. There was 20 people. Half of them playing a game of spin the bottle, already drunk, and the other half taking hits from a pipe. Butch took a seat on the couch and she sat beside him.

"Ever tried pot before?" He asked as he reached into the bag he brought with.

She shook her head.

He pulled out a weird looking, glass object. There was a tube-like piece attached to a round piece with a short cylinder sticking out. Inside of it was water and a clump of green leaves.

"This is a bong." He stated, lifting it up so she could see it better. "This is weed." He pointed to the leaves. "I light the weed on fire and then once smoke starts funneling through, you have to suck it in."

She stared at him. "I'm not doing it."

He dropped his shoulders. "Why not?"

"Because it's bad for you and I can't be caught smoking weed. If that gets out and my sisters see it or the mayor sees it then I can kiss my career as a hero goodbye."

He held it out to her. "Not if you stay at my house for the night and we keep this a secret. None of these guys will rat you out." He looked towards the stoners around them. "And weed is actually good for you."

She bit her lip, studying the bong, wondering how bad it could possibly be to take one hit. Just one.

"What do you say?" He asked, his eyes hopeful.

She released a heavy sigh. "Okay, fine."

"One more and we can leave." She chuckled. "Just one more."

He handed her the bong and she quickly lit it, then took in a mouthful of smoke. It burned her throat and she blew it out. Her body grew more numb and she felt like she was on a cloud.

"Alright, let's go now." Butch spoke as he stood up.

She laid down on the couch. "You can carry me."

He rolled his eyes and scooped her into his arms. She leaned her head against his chest, the warmth of his body causing her to grow tired.

"Do you need anything from your house?" He asked as he carried her up the stairs.

She closed her eyes. "Pajamas."

"You can just wear one of my t-shirts." He stated.

The cold breeze hit her as they went outside and into the air. "Okay."

Butch flew to his house, holding the most beautiful girl in the world close to his chest. He hovered near the window of his bedroom and used his x-ray vision to see if Brick was home. He was. But he was in his own room sleeping, so the coast was clear. Butch flew inside.

"Make sure you don't talk loud. Bricks home." He whispered.

Blossom nodded and slipped out of his arms. She sat on the bed and rubbed her eyes. "I don't feel right."

He dug around his closet. "You're coming down. It's normal."

She watched him pick out a large green shirt and he handed it to her. She stood up and pulled her clothes off. Butch faced away from her to give her privacy, but he didn't miss his chance to take a peak.

"How are you feeling now?" He asked once she had changed and drank some water.

She moved over so he could sit beside her. "Tired."

He nodded and stared into her eyes. Her heart began to race as she looked at him. He suddenly seemed unbelievably gorgeous. Every inch of him was perfect and she starved to touch him. Her face turned red.

"Why are you blushing, Pinky?" He snickered.

She bit her lip as her stomach flipped. His voice turned her on. His abs were showing through his shirt. His black hair was pulling away from his emerald eyes. His skin was smooth and tan. He was so hot.

"Butch." She stated.

He raised an eyebrow. "Yes?"

Then she shifted upward and crushed her lips against his. An explosion of electricity shot through her and her hunger grew. He immediately wrapped his arms around her and pulled her onto his lap. He broke away to kiss her neck, letting his hands wander under her shirt at the same time. His fingers brushed over her hips and across her stomach, around her thighs and against her back. His touch felt incredible and his lips felt even better. She cupped his face in her hands and brought his mouth onto hers. He threw his shirt to the side and took hers with it. He pressed her against him by the small of her back. She could feel his rock solid six pack against her stomach. She held onto his shoulders for support as he firmly kissed her.

He broke away again. "You good with this?"

She smirked. "100%."

So he brought his lips back to hers.


	8. Chapter 8

"Oh god." Blossom groaned as she opened her eyes. She grabbed her throbbing head and rolled over. So much from the night before was a blur. She sat up and tried to remember something. There was a faint memory of something very bad happening. Or was it very good? Her gaze traveled to the person lying beside her and she frowned. Butch was asleep still, the blanket pulled over half of his bare torso. Then she looked down at herself and gasped. She quickly grabbed the covers and wrapped them around her body. "Oh god." She repeated, this time louder.

Butch let out a moan and rubbed his face. He stretched and let his gaze fall on Blossom, who's face was pale. He could tell by the look in her eyes that she was horrified of her current situation. "Do you...remember what we did?"

She swallowed, hard, and nodded. "Yea...yea I do. But-" Her heart pounded against her ribcage. "Did we go all the way?"

He ran his fingers through his unkempt hair. "Yes."

She took a deep breath and tried not to let her voice quiver when she spoke, "Do you think Brick heard?"

Butch quickly shook his head. "No. He was passed out and we didn't make any noise...not really."

Her throat was tight. She couldn't believe she actually had sex with Butch while Brick was in the room right next to them. She completely remembered the feeling of last night and of course Butch was amazing, but she was trying to choose between him and Brick and now it was 10x more difficult. What was she supposed to do?

He could tell she was stressing out so he got up and grabbed her clothes. He had put his boxers back on the night before, but she had passed out right after they were done. Once he handed her the clothes he turned around and didn't look.

She quickly threw her clothes on and faced him. "Not that I'm trying to ditch you, or anything, but I kind of need to leave. If Brick were to catch me here-"

Butch nodded. "It's fine. I'll text you."

She gave him a small smile. "Okay."

He unlocked the window and slid it open for her. She slipped her legs over the ledge and was about to push off when she realized she forgot something. Immediately, she reached back and grabbed Butch by the arm. She pulled him close to her and pressed a kiss against his lips. She pulled away and in a flash of pink, she was gone.

Butch watched her go, overwhelmed with joy but also concerned that what he did with Blossom last night might ruin everything. Man, was he in for it now.

Some of last night was still blurry. Blossom didn't know how she got back to Butch's house. When she tried to remember, it was pure blackness. It made her panic. So many things could have happened. There were tons of 'what ifs.' She didn't know why she had sex with Butch. Something inside her, at that very moment, had just shoved her onto him. It scraped at her mind like a hungry disease. She couldn't resist him. What was that? Lust? Desire? Desperation? Yea...it was all three. But was there true love and care for him within her? Yes, unfortunately, there was. Now, she was in love with two men and those two men were brothers and both of them were in love with her as well. So if she chose one, she'd break the other's heart. How could she do that? What the hell was she supposed to do?

Her phone went off.

It was from Butch.

-How are you doing?

She released a heavy sigh and laid her head against the pillows. She tossed her phone to the side, not bothering to slide open the text. Her eyes wandered to the window and she stared at the evening sky. It'd been hours since she left Butch's house and the entire time she had simply sat around pondering what her life had come to. Nothing was easy anymore. Nothing had obvious answers. Nothing made any sense.

She closed her eyes to try and calm her thoughts, when a familiar scent hit her nose. Her eyes shot back open and she found Brick sitting on her window ledge. She immediately felt fear rise up her throat.

"I know you were hanging out with Butch last night." He stated. "You weren't home and neither was he, and that could only mean you were together."

His voice didn't sound angry, it sounded hopeless. Like he had given up.

Blossom sat up and stared at her counterpart.

"I understand that kidnapping you was a mistake and I took you away from your family, from your dad, when he passed away. But-" He searched for the right words. "I didn't realize what I was doing. I never really thought about the consequences concerning you. I only cared about what would happen between my brothers and I. And I see now that I should have paid attention, especially to you. I regret it so much. I regret being so rude to you. I hurt you and I hurt your family, I hurt my brothers, and I hurt myself. Bloss..." He met her eyes, pain evident in his. "I miss having you by my side every second of the day and hearing your voice. I fucking love you and this time I mean it. It's not just because you're beautiful, or strong, or perfect in every way. It's because you're the person I want in my life, the personality that fits together with mine like they were made for each other. I don't know what I can do to fix this, what I can do to make you forgive me. All I know is that I can't be without you anymore. I want you to be mine and only mine. I want you to choose me."

Her heart ached at seeing him so sad.

He let his gaze fall. "But my brother is better than me in every way. He's the good guy here, not me. So I guess I'm asking for too much." His voice filled with despair. "I'm sorry, Bloss, I'm really, really sorry."

She blinked and a tear traveled down her cheek, catching her by surprise. She quickly wiped it away with her sleeve and set her focus on Brick. He was apologizing to her. And it wasn't some careless, rushed apology that begged for forgiveness without any meaning to it. No. It was a true apology that Brick said from the heart. Suddenly, everything seemed so clear to her. Brick risked ruining his relationship with his brothers to be with her. He stopped being a villain to be with her. He followed her everyday to know where she was, to know if she was okay so he could be with her. He came to her tonight and bled his heart out just so that he could have a chance at being with her. Brick wasn't a bad guy. Brick...was the guy who matched her dreams, wants, and needs. Brick was the only guy that could ever match her perfectly. She wanted him so bad, and here he was, she had him. So what was she waiting for? What more did he have to do for her?

"Come here." She ordered.

He looked at her, confused.

She repeated herself. "Come. Here."

Cautiously, he stood up and walked over to her. She got to her feet and put her lips as close to his as they could possibly get without touching. Then she placed her hands on his shoulders and pushed him onto the bed. He sat on the edge, staring up at her with pure confusion.

She nodded. "I'll forgive you."

He was all ears.

"Under one condition." She positioned herself on his lap and tangled her arms around his neck. Her fingers brushed through his short, soft hair as he let his hands fall on her waist. She smiled. "Remind me why I love you."

His eyes lit up and he grinned. He tightened his grip on her waist, a mischievous look on his face. "Whatever you say, Red." Then he pressed a kiss to her lips and did exactly what she told him to do.

This would be a night they would never forget.

"Brick." She softly nudged his shoulder. "Brick, wake up."

He opened his eyes slightly and glared, the sunlight gave him a headache. She threw the covers off him and he yanked them back on.

"Brick. My sisters are up you need to leave."

He shook his head and shut his eyes. She quickly sat on top of him and slapped his face playfully. He pulled the covers over the two of them and snuggled her to his chest. She tried to push away, but he held tight.

"Seriously! They can't see you!" She raised her voice, hoping he would listen.

Suddenly, there were footsteps in the hallway and Blossom panicked. Bubbles was going to do the usual wake up call and force her downstairs for breakfast. 'Shit.'

Her heart raced and she attempted to squirm out of Brick's arms. Fortunately, she was able to slip away and get to her feet. She rushed to put her clothes on and toss her hair into a ponytail. The door would open any minute now and Brick was still lying on the bed.

"I'll make a deal with you." She stated, earning his attention. "If you leave right now I'll secretly spend the entire night with you."

He sat up and nodded. "Interesting." He said. "I'll take it, but first you have to give me a kiss."

She rolled her eyes and hurried over to him. Once close, he grabbed her by the thighs and pulled her lips onto his. He tried to make it a long kiss, but she broke away and went to the door. She smiled. "See you later."

He stood and went to the window. "Later, Red." He grinned at her before hopping out and disappearing.

All through breakfast, Blossom couldn't help but smirk. Gosh, Brick was such a bad boy. He was her bad boy. And she _loved_ it.


	9. Chapter 9

"Who...are you?" Blossom murmured as she struggled to keep her eyes open. She leaned her head against the dumpster she had fallen beside, blood dribbled over her lips as she spoke. Cuts, bruises, and burns were covering her body. Multiple explosions had destroyed nearby buildings which were now collapsing and causing a cloud of dust to lift up. She coughed as the smoke filled her burning lungs. Never in her life had she been attacked like this at night, no one dared start a fight with her, besides the ruffs. But even they didn't do this. Whoever this boy was, standing in front of her, with his hood pulled over his head and his black hair sticking out, dark gray eyes glaring through her, he was strong and extremely dangerous. He had caught her by surprise and attacked too quickly for her to react before she was already injured. What could he possibly want from her?

A building crumbled to the concrete only 10 feet away from them. Fire erupted from the rubble and exploded through the windows. The boy didn't even flinch, his eyes locked on Blossom's. She glanced up as ashes fell from the sky like black snow. Her chest ached. There had been people inside that building. She clenched her hand around the edge of the dumpster and pulled herself up. The second she shifted weight onto her right leg, blood squirted from it. She released a cry of pain and pressed her back against the brick wall. She needed to put the fire out and stop any other buildings from falling, but how could she do that when blood was pouring out of her leg? She placed her hand on the wound, trying to ignore the liquid flowing through her fingers. The boy walked towards her and she straightened up. He shoved a hand into his pocket and slowly pulled out a dagger. Her gaze fell on the weapon.

"Don't make me repeat myself." She growled.

He flipped the knife into the air and caught it, eyes sparkling with evil intent. "You really want to know who I am?" He questioned, drawing closer.

She narrowed her eyes.

"I'm your best friend." He stated. "Your savior. Your hero." Another building fell and a breeze swept passed them, ruffling his hood. She caught a glimpse of his face. Her stomach dropped. "Your lover."

He closed his fist around the knife.

"Or do you no longer see me like that?"

She inhaled sharply.

"You never saw me like that...did you? It was always Brick. Always him. Why? He kidnapped you and hurt you. Took you from your father. Took everything away from you and yet...you love him. More than me. When I rescued you and cared for you, I helped your sisters and protected you. What did I do wrong? Nothing. So tell me why you chose him."

She shook her head. "I-I, why are you doing this?" He was supposed to be the good guy, why would he hurt her? Attack her? He was causing so much destruction, it wasn't like him.

He moved closer. "I asked you a question."

Her heart was hammering, she had no response.

In the blink of an eye, he was on her, slamming her against the wall and pressing the blade to her throat. "ANSWER ME!"

She tilted her head back to avoid the blade. "Please." She whispered. "You're scaring me."

He grit his teeth. "I don't care. You hurt and betrayed me. I rescued you and this is how you repay me?"

The knife cut through and a drop of blood tickled her skin as it traveled down her neck. She looked up at the glowing moon above. How did she end up here? All she was doing was trying to get to the ruffs' house to see Brick-

Her eyes glittered with tears.

"I know you were going to the house to see Brick. I know you were with him last night." He was breathing heavily, full of rage. "You filthy whore." He growled. "The night after you slept with me you fucked my brother! Disgusting." He pulled her away from the wall then threw her back into it. She gasped at the sudden impact, her head knocking into the hard bricks. She was panting, overwhelmed with fear. The dark sky glowed with the ferocious fires and explosions. The moon cast an eerie glow over the man holding a knife to her throat, covering his face in shadows. She stared at him, her leg about to give out, and in one quick motion she ripped his hood off. Indeed, it was Butch. Glaring at her with pure hate and blood lust, no longer full of love nor care. She wanted to sink to the ground and cry, but he held her firm. "Tonight," He spoke. "You will feel the same pain as I did."

...

Her arms were so sore. She couldn't feel her leg anymore, not after Butch had tied a bandage around it tight enough to cut off the circulation. The chains securing her hands above her head were spiked and every movement made them draw blood. She was sitting on the cold, cement floor alone. She had been for hours. Butch had interrogated her, trying to figure out why the hell she loved Brick. Every time she gave an answer he didn't approve of, he sliced through flesh. Now, she knew pain and she knew humiliation, but this was the most horrid thing she had ever faced. She understood why Butch was angry. She accepted it and would have easily forgave him. But he was going way too far. Something was seriously wrong with him, she just didn't know what. But she needed to escape, somehow.

"Hello?" She shouted, her voice raspy and weak. There was no response. She leaned her head back and used her laser eye beams to melt away the chains. She stood up, but her right leg was useless and she nearly fell. She had to fly. There was a door made out of metal bars, like a jail cell, and that was the only way out. She wrapped her hands around two bars and pulled. If she didn't have super powers, the door wouldn't have budged. If she wasn't injured, she could've ripped the bars away with ease. Fortunately, even in her wounded state, she was able to tear off the bars and toss them aside. Then, she flew into a hallway that led to a staircase which went up to a door that opened to an alleyway. As soon as she got outside, she took to the skies.

She recognized where she was. The building Butch kept her in was on the outskirts of town, where all the criminals went, so she was there often. She wanted to find Brick and tell him what happened, but the chances of Butch being with him were too great. She had to get home and properly take care of her leg.

While she flew, she began to feel nauseas. She floated to the ground and threw up on the side of a road. After recovering, she hovered over to an alleyway, head spinning. She stumbled and held onto the wall for support. A ringing sounded and she covered her ears. The noise was sharp and it stung, drove her insane. She clenched her teeth and collapsed to the ground. Her head smacked against the concrete and her vision blurred. She fluttered her eyelids, pushing herself to stay awake. She couldn't pass out here, Butch would find her. He would find her and he would kill her. She reached out and slid her hand against the wall. She attempted to stand, but immediately fell back down. Everything hurt. She had no options. She had lost, she was going to die. She took one last breath before it all turned black.


	10. Chapter 10

A figure was standing in front of her. It crouched down and placed a gentle hand on her face. She couldn't see who it was, couldn't make out any features. All she knew was they were wearing blue. The person situated their hand under her head and an arm under her legs. She felt numb as they lifted her off the ground. A warmth radiated off the stranger and she rested her head against their chest. A breeze swept over her, the person could fly. That meant it could be one of five people. But if they were wearing blue then it was most likely either Bubbles or...Boomer. It couldn't be Bubbles, she could feel the person's well sculpted torso. But how would Boomer find her? It had to be Brick in disguise. He always followed her, he had found her and was rescuing her. She was safe now. Brick had her and he wouldn't let anything happen. Butch couldn't harm her. All the worries fled her mind and she allowed herself to drift asleep.

...

"Yes, I can feel it." Blossom said as the nurse touched her leg. The woman had been thoroughly inspecting her for what seemed like hours. Blossom was getting very annoyed, all she wanted was answers and this lady was not obliged to give her any.

The door opened and the doctor strode in. The second he saw Blossom, he smiled from ear to ear. "Ah, Ms. Utonium. Pleasure to see you again."

She smiled back. "Or awake at least."

He chuckled and approached her, instructing the nurse to fetch more bandages. He set his clipboard down on the bed that Blossom was sitting on the edge of. "How is your vision?"

She shrugged. "I can see through these walls and a mile away outside the window. My hearing is perfectly fine as well as my sense of touch, smell, and taste. I have a minor headache, but nothing to worry about. And the only thing that is in any way bothersome is my leg, which even that is a minuscule pain."

He nodded, impressed. "Good. So, seeing as you're intelligent enough to know whether or not you're in need of medical attention I am going to let you go with only a few simple words. Your clothes are over there on that chair-" He pointed across the room. "You may change in privacy as soon as I leave. Your stitches will need to be taken out in about 2 weeks, depending on how well things go. Clean the wound daily, use hydrogen peroxide to clean it if anything gets on it. Re-wrap it every other day and apply a thin coating of antibiotic cream, which they will give you at the counter. If you have any questions or need to come in for something, call my number-" He handed her a slip of paper. "Take it easy for the next couple of days, alright?"

She glanced at the piece of paper while nodding. "I will."

The doctor was about to leave but Blossom was not willing to let him go without answers.

"Who brought me here?"

He paused, then faced her. "I didn't catch his name."

"Describe him to me."

The doctor took a moment to think. "He had short, pulled back blonde hair. Very dark, blue eyes. He was about 5'10" and fairly lean. I think he was wearing a blue t-shirt and black track pants. He didn't speak much, simply brought you here, told us what happened, and left."

She frowned. "Told you what happened? What did he say?"

The doctor sighed, "Perhaps you'd like to see the security footage?"

She turned and spotted a camera in the corner of the wall. "Yes, I would."

...

The doctor allowed her to get dressed before taking her to the computer security room. There, he pulled a chair out for her that was in front of the screen which was currently recording the bed she had just been sitting on. With a few touch of buttons, the computer flashed back to last night. The minute it started playing, Blossom's eyes widened in surprise.

 _"Hello-Uh, is she in need of medical attention?"_

 _"Obviously, why do you think I brought her here?"_

 _"Well-"_

 _"Well nothing! She could be dying right now. You need to help her!"_

 _"We need some sort of background information."_

 _"What do you mean?"_

 _"What are her injuries? How did she receive them?"_

 _"Oh, well...she got in a, erm, fight. Theres quite a few bruises and cuts which you can decide if they need fixing up or not. But the major thing is her leg, it got cut on glass while she was, um, well it's not important. Also she kinda passed out so maybe theres a head injury? Although I don't remember her hitting her head so probably not...If theres some sort of paying fee or whatever then I'll take care of it. I know this is super sudden and all but you guys are used to that, I'm sure. So, just fix her, okay?"_

Blossom was surprised by how much Boomer had calmed down and how much care was laced in his voice.

 _"We will, sir, don't worry. It is greatly appreciated that you brought her in, I'm sure she would be very thankful."_

 _"Yeah, whatever."_

Boomer set his face into a frown before turning and walking out the doors.

The doctor hit pause and Blossom leaned back in her chair.

"I so did not expect that."

He clasped his hands together. "It was an interesting turn of events...but I suppose none of this is any of my business." He took a step back and motioned towards the door. "You are all clear to leave the hospital. Remember to call in if you feel like you need medical attention."

She slowly stood up and locked her gaze on the screen. The lean figure of Boomer was frozen mid-exit, nothing would have seemed out of the ordinary to anyone...but Blossom was particularly observant. She saw the way his back muscles clenched and his shoulders sagged. He was both fearful and guilty, which shocked her. Boomer never seemed to pay much attention to her, not anymore than a genuine friend would, and the amount of care he was showing in the footage was completely out of the ordinary. It was obvious, even to an idiot, that she wasn't going to die last night. Boomer had to have known that. She was a superhuman after all, she could take extreme measures of pain and still be alright. So why did Boomer act this way? And why was he seemingly guilty? He saved her, he should be proud. Something was amiss.

"Thank you." She spoke, trying to put formality into her tone.

The doctor gave her a curt nod before she left.

...

He was fuming, raging, pacing around his room with flames searing the ground beneath him. His brother had hurt her. He caused her to bleed. To cry. To scream. Brick couldn't take it, his anger was blinding him. White spots filled his vision. He felt nauseas, like he could punch the wall and cause the entire world to blow up from the single strike. How dare he touch her. No one, NO ONE, hurt his counterpart, ever. She was his and anyone who threatened to harm her would die. No exceptions. He needed to see her, needed to make sure she was okay, hold her in his arms and kiss her, feel the warmth and softness of her body against his. He had to see the injuries and know exactly what Butch had done and what he would get in return.

He threw his hat onto the ground and furiously ran his fingers through his short burgundy hair. Every muscle in his body was strained, every vein was popping, he was dripping sweat, and didn't know what to do. Where would she be at this moment? He had heard about what happened from Boomer, last place he said she was in was the hospital. But it was Blossom, she couldn't sit around in there for long. She would take the first chance she got to escape. Then...she would return home. Of course. She had to be home and if she wasn't, then he would simply wait for her. Either way, he would have her tonight and he would find out what happened between his counterpart and brother.

...

Blossom avoided her sisters and didn't allow them to see her injuries. She had to come home to make sure they knew she was alive and so that she herself could know that _they_ were alive as well. For some reason though, the thought of Butch harming her sisters never came to mind. He only had his sights set on her, no one else. She was semi-thankful for that. So once she found that her sisters were safe, she went to rest in her bed.

She laid her head against the fluffy pillow, breathing in the wonderful vanilla scent of her room. The hospital was hell, even if she was only there over night. Everything about the place was morbid and strict, she hated it. Being home felt good, she felt relaxed, yet still wary. An unease was set in the bottom of her stomach and she couldn't help but worry that Butch would come after her again. She didn't feel completely safe. But that feeling didn't last long.

"Blossom..."

She had just closed her eyes when they shot back open at the sound of his seductive voice. He towered over her bed, staring at her with incredible want and lust. Hidden behind those pupils, however, was powerful rage. She knew immediately that he had heard about what happened.

In the blink of an eye, he was sitting behind her and she was wrapped up in his arms, resting in his lap as he nestled his face into her neck. She winced as his cheek rubbed up against a cut. He felt her flinch and pulled away.

"You're okay?" He asked.

She nodded, allowing herself to melt into him. "I suppose you want the details."

He kept his arms around her waist as she shifted to face him.

"I was flying over to your house at 10, somewhere near all the alleys. He attacked me from behind and started fighting me like when we were kids. I only got a few hits in, but I really didn't want to fight back. Then he threw me into a building and before I could get up, he stabbed me in the leg. I thought it had been glass but turns out he had a knife. The fight went on for an hour then I was exhausted and tried to find out who he was. He told me he was my best friend, savior, hero, and...lover. Then he put the knife to my throat and started threatening me before taking me to some abandoned building. He took these chains that were connected to the wall and wrapped them around my hands. He asked me a bunch of questions then left. Thats when I escaped. But while trying to get home, I started throwing up and passed out in an alley. Boomer, apparently, brought me to the hospital. I stayed there overnight and just got home 20 minutes ago." She finished.

His eyes had darkened. "Show me."

"The injuries?" She asked.

He nodded and she scooted away from him, forcing him to remove his arms. She stood up and pulled off her pants, which she was wearing shorts under, revealing the large, stitched up wound on her thigh. His gaze grew even darker. She rolled her sleeves up, showed him her torso, exposed her neck by tying her hair into a ponytail, and pointed out each bruise and cut on her face. He thought he was angry before, but now...he was murderous.

Blossom saw how enraged he was and understood how badly she needed to calm him down. Knowing Brick, he would go out and kill his own brother along with half of townsville...and if he really got riled up he could destroy the entire planet. Super humans could be very dangerous weapons.

She returned to his lap and curled her arms around his neck. She placed a gentle kiss on his lips and stared deeply into his burning red eyes.

"I'm okay, honestly I am. It takes a lot to hurt me. I've been in worse conditions and situations. I promise you we will work this out, but let me talk to Boomer before you go after Butch...please?" She spoke so softly that his anger began to fade. She was just so beautiful, so sexy, so strong, so empowering, and bossy...she was a fucking goddess in his eyes. He could never say no to her.

He released an irritated sigh. "Fine. But if Butch makes any nasty remark towards you whatsoever, if he threatens, touches, or even looks at you the wrong way I'll kill him."

She knew he was dead serious. Her heart was pounding even as she calmly responded, "Okay."

As he looked at her, his rage began to turn into lust. The only way he could prevent himself from going on a murderous rampage was by protecting his counterpart through a claim. His grip on her waist tightened and his body began to heat up.

She saw the hungry look in his eyes and smirked. "You know...my body is still super stiff from laying in that hospital bed for 11 hours. Think you can help loosen me up?"

His eyes widened slightly and he pulled her so close that she could smell the flames on him. "I can definitely help with that, Pinky."

Lust was so thick in his tone that it made her stomach flip and the way he held onto her with so much aggressiveness made her heart race. She couldn't take it, he was too damn good looking. She closed the space between them and crushed a deep kiss against his lips. He instantly responded by slipping his hand underneath her shorts and grabbing her warm, smooth thigh. She breathed against his lips as he pulled away and stared into her eyes. The passion and dominance in his gaze lit her on fire. She clutched onto his shirt near his neck and her eyes begged him to continue.

"You're mine." He stated. "You've always been mine. I'm not going to let anyone take you away from me."

His grip on her thigh was slightly painful because of her stitches, but sometimes she enjoyed a little bit of pain. Sometimes, she allowed someone to hurt her only because she trusted them and knew they would never pass her limits. Brick, would never pass her limits. Brick, was the love of her life. "I know." She whispered.

His hand traveled under her shirt and to the back of her bra. He gently and effortlessly unclasped it and tossed it aside. She raised a seductive eyebrow.

"You know the rule." She teased.

He smirked and removed his shirt, revealing his gorgeously lean, sculpted torso and muscular arms that now circled her waist. He brushed a kiss over her neck before leaving a bruise on her collarbone, being careful not to touch any cuts. She pulled his face back up and kissed his lips. Her pink eyes sparkled with joy.

"I was confused for so long." She said. "I didn't think you could ever be the good guy. I didn't believe you truly loved me. I thought that of all people, you were the last one I'd choose. But now-" She stared into his crimson eyes. "I know that you're the only one...you'll always be the only one."

Her words sparked a warmth in his stomach and he leaned closer to her. "I love you so fucking much, Red."

The huskiness of his voice made her face turn pink but she smiled. "I love you, too."

And he kissed her with a passion unlike any other, holding her tight, as she was _his_.


	11. Chapter 11

"I need to talk to you." She stated. "About the other night."

Boomer's blue eyes widened slightly, but he had obviously been expecting her as he was well dressed and put together...or at least as much as a ruff could be. He glanced over his shoulder. "Let's go somewhere else. Butch is here."

She bit her lip, and nodded. Boomer took off into the sky and she followed.

"What do you want to know." He asked as they flew.

"Everything." She glanced down at the city below, then at the rising sun. "But first, start with answering this; do you have any idea what made Butch go crazy?"

He frowned. "What do you mean?"

She sighed. "He wasn't acting like himself. Attacking me was never something he would do, no matter how angry he got. I can't help but think someone else had played a part in it." She had done some serious thinking on her way over to Boomer's and realized that it couldn't have been as simple as it seemed. Something else was going on.

"Well, I have no idea who it could've been nor what they could've done." He said matter-of-factly.

Her eyes inspected every inch of his face, reading every sign and every possible give away. He seemed calm, too calm, almost like he didn't care about the topic. Yet there was still a hint of nervousness mixed with regret. None of those gave her any hint as to whether he was telling the truth or not.

"He is my brother though and I've known him since we were born. So if I'm being honest with you, he's always had moments like these where he just rages out of nowhere. That's why he used to be known as the crazy, psycho one when we were kids. He has extreme mood swings. There's no way to stop them besides eliminating the thing that's causing him to feel such crazy emotions." They landed on a power plant and he turned to her, a sympathetic look in his eyes. "And I think...you're that thing."

She blinked slowly and let her gaze drop to the ground. Boomer was right. She was the person who was causing Butch to feel crazy emotions. She was causing him both pain and love. But was the pain worth it? Maybe to him it was but to her it definitely wasn't. She couldn't hurt him, it wasn't his fault that he attacked her because of his mood swings. It's not like she wanted revenge. But...the only way she could help him is if she left him. 'You idiot.' She cursed herself. 'You just professed your love to Brick last night and said he was the only one. Why would leaving Butch be hard?'

"I know that's hard for you." Boomer spoke softly, yanking Blossom out of her thoughts.

She looked at the blue ruff and tilted her head to the side. "Why did you help me?"

He furrowed his brows. "Because you're my friend and I care about you. Just because I'm a ruff doesn't mean I don't care. I wasn't going to let you lie on the ground hopelessly for Butch to find."

Blossom gave him a small smile. "Well thanks." Then her suspicions returned. "How did you find me? And how did you know what happened, how I got hurt?"

His face fell. "I-Well...I was looking for Butch because he had been out for a really long time and we were supposed to go to this party. While I was looking for him I found you passed out in an alley. As for how I knew what happened, I didn't. I just picked you up and brought you to the hospital."

She narrowed her eyes. "But you knew Butch was the one who attacked me?"

He shook his head.

She crossed her arms. "Then how did Brick find out about it. He told me you told him that Butch attacked me."

His face paled. "I didn't know until he told me that Butch was going on a rampage around the town. Then I put two and two together and figured that he was the one who attacked you."

"Alright...so you didn't know what injuries I had, right?"

He nodded.

'Fucking liar.' She wanted to call him out right then and there, but then her mind flashed back to the last time she spoke to Boomer. It was when she went over to his house because Butch invited her over. She had tried to reassure Boomer that he was a valuable part of the team, but Boomer didn't believe a word she said. His words had been, 'You should probably go talk to your boyfriend.' That was something a jealous person would say and the way his attitude had suddenly changed when she showed that she cared about Butch also hinted towards him being jealous. Which gave her a perfect idea.

"So...you said you helped me because we're friends?" She questioned.

He met her gaze. "Yeah."

"And you only think of me as a friend?" Her eyes filled with hope.

He scratched the back of his neck. "I don't know...um, not really."

She raised an eyebrow. "So you think of me as more than a friend?"

He chewed his lip. "I guess so."

"How long have you felt this way?" When she saw his fear she spoke again, "I'm not going to judge you, I just want to know."

"Well I had a small crush on you when we were Seniors but then I met other girls when we graduated. I still always liked you as a really good friend up until you were kidnapped then I realized how much I cared about you and how badly I needed you to be okay. So I guess I've felt this way since then." He stated. "But you've never noticed me."

Suddenly, it all made sense. Why Boomer had appeared guilty on the footage. How he knew about her injuries. The reason he had helped her. How he knew she needed help. Why he knew it was Butch. Once she put it all together, she realized; Boomer had caused Butch to attack her. How? She didn't know. But she was going to find out.

"Boomer..." She whispered, a small smile slipping across her face. "I've always noticed you."

His face flushed as she placed a hand on his chest and leaned her head forward. Her warm breath brushed against his lips as she spoke.

"Do you really love me?" She asked innocently.

He stared into her eyes and nodded. His arms snaked around her waist. "I really do."

It hurt her, what she was about to do next, but sometimes bad things had to be done to bad people. She ran her fingers through his blonde hair and pressed her body against his. "I have to tell you something."

His fingertips grazed the waistband of her jeans. "What is it?"

She placed a kiss against his jaw then looked at him with lidded eyes. "Nothing turns me on more than a guy who's willing to manipulate someone and make up lies so he can prove his worth to a girl."

Boomer's eyes shot open and she knew he was fearful of her knowing his secret.

She took a deep breath, hating her next move. "I know that you did it..." She whispered into his ear. "And I'm glad you did."

Before he could respond, she crushed her lips against his.

...

Brick woke up to find his arms empty. His eyes narrowed dangerously and he quickly sat up, scanning the room for any signs of his counterpart. That's when he spotted the note on the bedside table. He picked it up.

 _I'm going to see Boomer and get some answers. Don't worry about me and don't follow me, I'll be fine._

 _-Blossom_

He growled. He had finally had her with him again, where she was safe. Now she was in danger. And as badly as he wanted to go after her, he couldn't. Not only because she told him not to, but also because he had another person to deal with; Butch. Man, when he got his hands on that son of a bitch he would strangle him to death. He'd beat him to a pulp. He'd make him feel so much pain that he wouldn't ever be able to comprehend what pain was again. Butch was his brother, but he should have known not to mess with Blossom. He should have realized that the second he laid a hand on her Brick would go after him. There was no way in hell Butch would get away with what he did.

Brick crumpled up the paper and tossed it into the garbage. His red eyes glared out the windows. "You better run while you still can, Butch."

...

Boomer's eyes were wide when she pulled away. She waited for him to regain his composure.

"Was that too much?" She asked.

He quickly shook his head. "No, definitely not. It's just...you know what I did?"

She nodded.

"And you're okay with it?"

She held his face in her hands. "Yes, because you did it for me."

He grinned.

"But...how did you do it?" She questioned, playing with the collar of his shirt.

He didn't seem completely willing to answer so she shifted even closer to him, placing another kiss on his lips.

"Well...I lied to you." He spoke sadly, his gaze dropping. "Butch doesn't have crazy mood swings or anything. I drugged him with this weird stuff that I got from a buddy who's mom is a doctor. He snagged it from the hospital and told me it would increase a person's anger dramatically. It wore off a few hours after he attacked you."

She wanted to punch him so badly. "I forgive you, just tell me why you did it."

His body tensed and she trailed her fingers across his back to calm him. "I wanted him to attack you so I could save you and be the hero. Then you would finally notice me and hate him."

She narrowed her eyes. "And you're being completely honest?"

He nodded.

"Good." She growled. "Then that'll make what I'm about to do _much_ easier."


	12. Chapter 12

Green eyes glowered at the living room couch, which was usually occupied by a particular blonde dumbass. Butch spotted a video game disc lying on the floor and he made sure to step on it while walking to the kitchen. Boomer had drugged him with something while he was sleeping and it caused him to go on an angry rampage throughout the city. He couldn't remember what he did during the 12 hours of rage, but he was _pissed_. Not only then, but now too. Maybe it had just been Boomer playing some stupid prank, or maybe the moron actually had a plan, didn't matter Butch was still going to wring his throat. Now he had 2 things to be frustrated about, Boomer and...Blossom. She hadn't responded to any of his texts since they slept together. Maybe he had gone too far too soon? Nah, it was probably Brick. The asshole always had to barge in with his huge ego and fuck shit up. It still baffled him that Blossom felt anything for the red ruff. What could she possibly see in him?

"Girls." Butch muttered as he grabbed a bottle of beer from the fridge. He twisted the cap off and took a swig.

The front door was ripped off it's hinges.

Butch's eyes went wide as Brick stood in the front of him, irises glowing from the flames in his hands.

"What the fu-?"

Brick moved in an instant, slamming Butch up against the counter and smashing his head through the window. He lifted him up and threw him over his head, opening up a hole in the wall. Butch laid outside, rubbing his head, too drowsy to realize that he needed to get up and _move_ FAST.

"Brick what are you-?!" Butch got to his feet just in time to be hit by a huge energy beam. The impact sent him flying through a house, destroying everything in his path, before collapsing to the ground. He grunted and tried to sit up but was forced down by Brick, who's hands were still on fire.

"You son of a bitch! You're going to pay for what you did!" He delivered a hard strike to Butch's jaw. "I told you not to mess with something that belongs to me!" He crushed the green ruff's nose with his elbow and continued to hit him again and again.

Butch tried to catch his brother's arm. "What are you talking about!?"

Brick picked Butch up off the ground and tossed him into the sky. In the blink of an eye, the red ruff was above him and he blasted him into the ground with a burst of fire. Then he pinned his brother to a wall and growled. "Where is it?"

Butch turned away and spit a glob of blood onto the concrete. "Where is what!?"

Brick clenched his fist around Butch's throat. "The knife!"

Butch glared. "I don't have a fucking knife!"

Unfortunately, the green ruff's words only made matters worse for him as Brick shot his hand into Butch's pocket and revealed a switch blade.

"Really?" Brick sneered before slashing the weapon across Butch's face.

Butch grit his teeth, bewildered by his brother's actions. "Dude what the fuck!?"

Brick pushed the blade into Butch's throat. "I should kill you, you piece of shit. But Blossom wouldn't like that, and I actually care about her...unlike some people."

Butch frowned. "You found out." He sighed. "Look she was high and said she was okay with it so things just sort of evolved to _that_. But who the fuck do you think you are to attack me like this over that?! You're the asshole who kidnapped her and fucked her against her will so you can't say shit!"

Brick raised the knife, then paused. "Wait, are you telling me you had sex with her?"

Butch bit the inside of his cheek. "I thought you already knew that. Isn't that why you're freaking out?"

Brick narrowed his eyes, anger boiling again. "You know why I'm freaking out and you just made me 10x more pissed. Forget what I said...I'M GOING TO FUCKING KILL YOU!"

Butch's face went pale as Brick threw him into another wall and attacked him with punches. Once Butch's face was smeared with blood and barely recognizable, Brick picked up the knife and drove it into his brother's leg. Butch growled in pain.

"You fucking asshole!" Butch's eyes burned with rage as he dove on top of Brick. He caught the leader by the throat and crushed his face against the concrete. He tried to throw a punch but Brick kicked out his leg, causing him to fall. Immediately, he got back up and met his brother's glare. With one quick movement of his arm, the knife propelled through the air and sunk into it's target.

"BRICK!" Both ruffs' heads shot up to the sky to find Blossom staring down in horror. Brick followed her gaze to his brother to find the knife plunged into his torso, blood already soaking his shirt. Butch touched the knife, eyes filled with terror as he looked at Brick, before collapsing. Blossom shot down and landed on her knees at Butch's side. She rested his upper body on her legs and stroked his bruised, bloody face.

"You're going to be okay." She whispered to him gently, her touch easing the pain away from his face.

Brick clenched his fists. "Blossom get away from him. He tried to kill you, let him die."

Her eyes flashed with rage and she turned on Brick. She quickly removed her sweatshirt and pressed it against Butch's wound, trying to stop the blood flow, knowing it wouldn't work. Then she carefully laid Butch's head down before getting to her feet and storming over to Brick. She grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and slammed him against the wall.

"Boomer drugged him. It wasn't his fault in any way. He doesn't even remember what the hell he did, _Brick_. And here you are trying to fucking kill him!" She snarled in his face. "Once he's safe in the hospital, I'm going to teach you the same lesson I taught Boomer."

She released him with a shove and returned to Butch's side. She scooped him up into her arms, shot one last glare at Brick, then blasted off into the sky.

...

Brick watched her stride down the hallway, eyes locked on his. He adjusted his cap as she grew closer and he realized how incredibly powerful she looked. Her face set in a prideful glower, eyes glowing with an evil glint. Her hips swaying as though she owned the place, which she pretty much did, she could own anything she wanted to. Her red curls framed her gorgeous face and a magical aura of dominance surrounded her. Brick seemed to always find himself transfixed by her.

She didn't avert her gaze as she approached him. He expected a hug, maybe an apology, something along the lines of "I understand that you were just trying to protect me, I love you so much, you're my hero." But instead she continued walking passed him and out the door. His jaw clenched. 'I try to be the good guy and this is the thanks I get. Fuck life, man seriously.'

...

Blossom sat down at the kitchen table with a bowl of cereal. After ditching Brick, she had returned to the hospital and stayed the night there, watching over Butch. She didn't want to leave, but the stress was getting to her so she went home to grab food. It was hard to keep anything down, however, because she had a sickening feeling in her stomach. What caused that? The disheartening fact that Butch wasn't doing good. The doctors said he lost a ton of blood. Apparently, the drug that Boomer gave him thinned his blood so it was much harder to clot, which made him lose way more than he should have. Now, he was currently unconscious and probably wouldn't wake back up for 2 days. The new blood they were putting in him may or may not work. Since he has chemical X making up his system, no blood type actually matches. But since he's a superhuman, it could be successful. Blossom couldn't help but doubt it though. She knew that Butch was under a lot of stress, he was heartbroken as well as frustrated, and now he was in critical condition, way too close to death than she ever wanted him to be. But what the hell was she supposed to do? There was no way she could help. Without the Professor, she didn't know how to incorporate Chemical X into a normal human's blood. That was something he had been working on a few months before Brick kidnapped her. She had already been in the lab and organized everything, taking anything with importance and leaving the rest. There was nothing that could help Butch.

She pushed her cereal away and dropped her head in her hands. She felt absolutely horrible. Poor Butch only ever wanted to love her and she continuously pushed him away. He had sent her multiple texts for the two days following their night together and she ignored them all. Her last words to him had been, "You're going to be okay," but that was a lie.

"Blossom?" Normally, she would have spun her head around in an instant but the exhaustion had gotten to her, so much so that she didn't even hear her sister call her name.

"Yo, Bloss, what's the problem?" Buttercup spoke loudly.

Blossom lifted her head up and glanced at her sisters. "Nothing. Leave me alone."

"We would but you've got company." Buttercup stated, a sneer in her voice.

The puff leader released a heavy sigh and stood up. She grudgingly approached the door and was horrified by who she found in the doorway. Brick's face was covered with shadows under his hood, almost making him unrecognizable, but not to her.

Her eyes narrowed. "Go away."

Brick peered over her shoulder to make sure no one was watching before taking a step towards her and pulling her into his arms. He pressed a harsh kiss to her lips and she felt something wet drip onto her cheek. She pushed him away gently and her anger instantly disappeared at seeing her counterpart's bloodshot, dark rimmed eyes. He was a complete mess. His hair was disheveled, he wasn't wearing his hat, his skin was pale, and he looked defeated.

She searched his eyes. "Brick, what's wrong?"

Suddenly, her sisters walked into the room and he grabbed her hand. He pulled her outside and into the sky. She soon found herself on the rooftop of the tallest building in the city, watching Brick pace back and forth as he flipped out. He started cursing and shouting about random stuff that Blossom couldn't understand.

"BRICK!" She finally yelled. "Tell me what's wrong!"

He met her gaze and she felt her stomach sink at seeing the pain that filled his eyes. "He's gone."


	13. Chapter 13

An indescribable pain washed over her and she sunk to the ground, already choking on sobs. She couldn't believe it, she wouldn't. No, no, no. Something was wrong. He was fine, Butch was fine. He'd wake up. He was alive. Right? Everything was going to be okay.

 _"He might not make it through the night."_

No, the doctor was wrong. Brick was wrong. Everyone was wrong. Butch couldn't die!

She screamed and smashed her fists onto the rooftop, nearly breaking it. Tears spilled onto the cement as they rapidly flowed down her cheeks.

"You're lying." She whimpered, her words hardly recognizable through the sobs.

Brick growled back, trying his best not to break down like her. "I wish I was."

She stared up at him with watery eyes. "No..." She was trembling. "Brick, no, he-he can't-" She couldn't finish as more sobs escaped her lips. Everything hurt so fucking bad.

"Blossom." He spoke so sternly that she went silent for a brief moment. Nothing in the world could have prepared her for what Brick said next. "Butch is dead."

...

The clouds had rolled over the sky and blocked out the already dull sun. Everyone was still and silent in the darkness, eyes set on the coffin in the center of the park. Blossom ordered that there be an official ceremony in honor of him. She wouldn't let him go without a respectful goodbye. Black clothing was worn by all, some adding a green accessory to their outfit, a symbol of honor. Yes, Butch deserved honor. He deserved the world, and nothing less. If only she could have given that to him.

Soft sobs from the blonde powerpuff could be heard, but no one else shed a tear, mostly because everyone else knew Butch as only a criminal. Boomer was chained up and forced to his knees beside Buttercup, who made sure he didn't make any move towards escaping. Blossom stood in the front, a few steps away from Butch. Her eyes were red and surrounded by heavy, dark circles. A light drizzle dampened her untamed curls. Raindrops slipped down her cheeks and made it appear as though she was crying, however, the powerpuff leader had refused to cry since the night she was told the bad news. Her heels clicked against the pavement as she strode up to the podium, the sound echoing through the sullen city. She reached her spot and turned to face the surprisingly large crowd. Many gasps escaped the people, stunned at seeing their famed hero looking destroyed and miserable. Blossom lifted her chin and stared out at the civilians, the words she would say already running through her mind. This would be the easiest speech she'd ever made, because she knew exactly what to say, and yet the hardest she would ever face, because lying beside her was her dead best friend.

She took a deep breath and then her voice rang out over the city. "Butch Jojo is not the man you believe him to be. He is _so_ much more. He is someone who could brighten up your day with the simplest smile. He is someone who could comfort you when you need a hug. He was the only person I ever met that could truly do no wrong. How is that possible? Isn't he a criminal? No. Butch was anything but a criminal. For every mistake, every error, every regretful thing he did...he made up for it. Butch could fix anything. He fixed every problem that came his way. He never gave up. Not on himself, not on his brothers, and not on me. Of all the personalities I've seen throughout my lifetime, none have ever compared to Butch Jojo's. He had the traits of every good person in this world. Maybe he came off as rude, obnoxious, _crazy_ , but that was who he was. A crazy man. My crazy best friend." Her gaze drifted to the coffin. Dark green painted roses cascaded down the sides of the box and covered the ground. One pink rose laid atop the stone slab that rested against the coffin, engraved with Butch's name and date of birth. She tightened her grip on the podium. "And I loved him. I loved the world's most despised 'criminal'. Me, a powerpuff. Because in my eyes, he was no criminal. In my eyes, Butch Jojo, was a hero. And he will forever remain that way, in my heart."

An uproar of cheers hit her ears but she ignored them. Even now, as she had confirmed to the city her love for Butch and convinced them that he was no criminal, she still felt an overwhelming burn in her chest. An emptiness. She longed to tell him how she felt, to just touch him again, to let him know that he meant the world to her. But she couldn't, and facing that horrible truth hurt more than a thousand deaths.

She stepped off the podium and found her spot in front of Butch's coffin, where she fell to her knees. The entire world watched on as the powerpuff leader pulled a knife from her pocket and placed a ginger kiss against the glimmering metal. Her eyes sparkled with tears as she rested the weapon beside the pink rose. But it was no weapon, it was a symbol of forgiveness. She wanted him to know that she completely forgave him for any pain he might have put her through. For any tears that she shed over him. She needed him to understand that none of it mattered to her, because she still loved him and always would.

A tear slipped from her cheek and blended with the already wet stone. She leaned back on her heels, staring at the coffin, at Butch's name, at the knife that still had a speck of his blood on it. Her entire world seemed to fall apart at that moment and she glanced over her shoulder. She found Brick's red figure standing on a skyscraper. Even through the distance, they locked eyes, and Blossom let one more tear fall.

...

The citizens began to leave after the speech. More and more people left throughout the evening, many laying a gift atop Butch's coffin. It began to grow late and the sunset in the west. The sky glowed orange and red. Lilac clouds parted to allow the fiery sun to blaze over the horizon. The gorgeous colors reflected off every window and skyscraper. A very light breeze swept by and pulled at the burgundy curls of the powerpuff leader as she stayed by her best friend. She didn't cry. Didn't make a sound. Her dark eyes laid somberly on the green rose in her hand. She appeared emotionless as people continued to walk by. But truly, she had never felt such strong emotions before in her life.

Finally, everyone had left except for Bubbles, Buttercup, Boomer, and Brick. All four went over to the pink puff, not able to tear their eyes away from the unusually miserable looking girl. Blossom always made sure to put on a happy, proud facade in front of the city. But this time she had crumbled and showed everyone how badly this tragedy truly hurt her. The news had broadcast the event and every country could view it, so literally everyone saw. However, Blossom couldn't care less.

"Your speech was really good." Bubbles spoke softly.

Buttercup offered a small smile. "He'd be so happy to know you felt that way. To know that you honored him like this."

Blossom twirled the rose in her palm. "But he never will."

The two puffs shared an uneasy glance, not sure what to say to make their leader feel better.

"There's nothing you can say." Brick muttered to them.

Bubbles dropped her head. Buttercup rested a hand on Blossom's shoulder. "Don't come home too late, sis." As soon as her hand fell away, her and Bubbles took off to the sky.

Brick looked to his still living brother and grimaced. Boomer's face was hardly recognizable anymore. He had cuts, bruises, scrapes, and welts all over. Blossom had made sure to give him what he deserved when she found out that he had drugged Butch. How come Brick didn't get the same beating? Maybe because she felt too weak after Butch's death. Or maybe because she couldn't bare to lose another man that she loved.

"He did know that you loved him, Bloss." Brick stated.

Blossom shook her head. "No, he didn't. He knew only that I loved you."

Brick's gaze fell to the coffin and he sighed. "You didn't kill him. I did."

"But I made his death worse."

"No, you made his life worth something. He believed he was meant to be a criminal his whole life, until he fell for you. If it wasn't for you, the entire world would be celebrating today." His red eyes narrowed. "He loved you. There's nothing you could have done to make him not love you."

Blossom looked at her counterpart. "I'll never forget about him. I'll never stop loving him."

Brick nodded. "I'm not asking you to stop. Just don't let this ruin your life. He wouldn't want that." His hand reached out and grasped hers. "I wouldn't want that."

Those were his last words, before he too left. Then it was just her and Boomer.

The blonde ruff was still on his knees. "Are you going to bring me back to jail?"

Blossom stared at the sunset. "Eventually."

There was a moment of silence, both teens questioning if their lives would ever go back to normal. Then Boomer spoke. "He was weak. Too weak to withstand the drug. Too weak to survive a knife to the stomach."

The pink puff didn't shift her gaze. "You're no better."

Boomer glared. "He's no hero."

Her eyes reflected the sunset. "Simply because he's weak?"

"Because he's a coward. He never could have protected you. He never could have saved the world."

She breathed in the sharp scent of the rose, it smelled just like Butch. "Maybe not, but there's something you are still too ignorant to realize." A single petal broke off and followed the wind. Blossom raised her chin. "A true hero isn't measured by the size of his strength, but by the strength of his heart." Boomer frowned. Blossom set her shadowed eyes on the blue ruff as the sun slipped beneath the horizon. The clear disgust and disdain within her pink irises made his stomach weak. "Butch was, and forever will be, the truest hero this world has ever seen."

Boomer watched her intently as she made her way over to him, a small object shimmering in her hand. Once she was only inches away from him, she bent down and met his glare.

"When you die, be sure to tell him you're very sorry and give him a kiss for me, okay?" Her voice held a smile, but her face was dark.

Before he could utter a response, she jabbed a needle into the side of his neck. He made a choking noise, face pale. Blossom stood up as his body hit the ground, eyelids already closed in an unconscious slumber. She tossed the syringe aside, then turned back to the coffin. Her heart sank. No matter what she did, nor what she said, nothing could ever ease the pain of losing Butch. Ever. All she could do was ease _his_ pain.

She went over to the coffin and placed the rose she still held on top of the shiny, black case. Finally alone, she spoke her final goodbye to her best friend. With a tear trickling down her face and a hand touching where she knew his head lay beneath, she whispered, "Until we meet again, Butch."


	14. Chapter 14

"I'm gonna miss you." Bubbles whispered as she embraced her red haired sister.

Buttercup waited for them to break apart before sharing her goodbyes. "Don't hurt yourself while we're gone."

Blossom chuckled lightly. "I won't. Have fun you guys."

The two girls shared a cautious glance then smiled back at their leader.

"Promise you won't forget that we love and care about you." Bubbles spoke.

Buttercup nodded. "Without you we wouldn't be here. We could never live without you, Bloss."

The pink puff felt her heart flutter. She gave them a reassuring look. "Don't worry about me. I'll be fine. I love you, girls."

They picked up their bags and called in sync, "Love you!" Then took off into the sky. Blossom watched them go, a heavy weight falling onto her chest. Yes, now that her sisters were headed to Hawaii for a vacation, she would be able to have alone time. That alone time would give her a chance to relax, something she hadn't done for months, ever since Butch's death. But her sisters' presence provided her with comfort, because she could keep an eye on them and make sure they were safe. Now, she couldn't be sure of that. But what possible harm could come to them? They were the strongest beings on Earth and, as far as anyone knew, in this universe.

'They'll be fine.' She told herself, heading upstairs to take a much needed nap.

Blossom had just closed her eyes when she heard her window slide open. Suddenly, she was lifted into someone's arms and her head rested against a rock solid chest. She pulled a face as she looked up at Brick.

"I was trying to sleep." She stated, none-to-happy.

He shrugged, placing a fierce kiss on her lips. She pulled away, causing a look of hurt to spread across his face.

"I can't right now." She said, averting her gaze.

His crimson eyes narrowed. "What's wrong? You seemed perfectly fine while you were asleep."

She scoffed, "I wasn't asleep. I could've been, if you didn't barge in."

He placed her on the bed and sat across from her, listening intently as she went on.

"I've been thinking a lot lately and I just don't deserve any of this." Her lips parted as she released a light sigh. "I screwed everyone over. You, the Professor, my sisters, even Boomer." She bit the inside of her cheek. "Butch..." Her chest felt like an empty, hollow cave. Just minutes ago she felt peaceful and ready to take a delightful nap. Now, as she sat in the presence of Butch's brother, of her lover, of her victim, she realized that Brick wasn't at fault, nor was Boomer, or Butch. No...it was her all along. It had always been her. She just refused to believe it. She refused to accept her fate. It had been the first time she spoke to Brick in a week, and things suddenly felt so much different. Maybe it was because within the past week she had cried more than ever. Or maybe it was because of two simple words that she had inked into her skin.

Don't Leave

 _He pressed a kiss to her lips then met her gaze. "What's wrong?"_

 _Her pulse fluttered. It always felt good to know he did care, sometimes. "I still don't understand why you kidnapped me."_

 _His eyes widened. "I told you I can't-"_

 _"You can't tell me that. I know." She pushed him away but he caught her wrists, easing her back down._

 _"Don't leave." He spoke._

 _She knelt down before his casket, tears warningly gathering at her eyes. The wind blew a few petals off the flowers scattered over the plaque. Her heart burned as she leaned forward and rested her forehead against the tombstone, knees digging into the dirt._

 _The words she whispered were quiet pleads, to whoever could hear her. "Please..." She touched his name. "Don't leave."_

 _"Professor?" All three girls slipped into the room and watched as their father finished packing his suitcase._

 _He turned to them with a grim smile. "Don't worry girls, I'll be back very soon. It'll only be a week."_

 _His words couldn't ease their worry, however, and all at once they leaped into his arms._

 _"We're gonna miss you." Bubbles sobbed._

 _"It'll be kind of boring I guess, without you." Buttercup muttered._

 _Blossom simply squeezed her dad as hard as she could, without causing harm, and buried her face into his shoulder. Yes, she was a teenager. No, her and her sisters shouldn't be making this big of a deal about the Professor leaving for a little while. But their father was getting old and he hadn't been his usual self lately. The fact that none of the girls could save him, when they were used to being able to save anyone, because their powers could not prevent old age, broke their hearts. Who knows, this could be their final goodbye. For Blossom, it was._

 _"You girls will save the day even with me gone and be just as awesome as ever, alright? Don't fret." His voice was so soothing, so reassuring and calm. Blossom nearly believed him._

 _'I should worry. I should fret. Because letting you leave, to go to this science convention, is going to lead to the creation of a terrible monster, an experiment gone wrong. And at some point in time I'll get kidnapped by my counterpart and won't be able to save you, when that terrible monster kills you.'_

 _After a few moments of saying their farewells, the Professor exited the house. He strode outside and went to open the car door when a pink blur stopped him._

 _Blossom stared up at him with desperate eyes. "Don't leave."_

 _He bent down to her level and kissed her cheek. "I know you'll keep your sisters safe and be responsible. Please, don't be worried about me. I'll be just fine. Back in a week, okay?" He kissed her again. "I love you."_

 _She threw her arms around his neck once more and mumbled into his chest. "I love you, too."_

 _And as she watched his car drive away, she repeated to herself, "Don't leave."_

At one point she had been so fragile and unaware of the pain around her. She didn't realize that life wasn't all about stopping evil, didn't realize that other people were suffering. And up until now, she hadn't realized that the man before her was suffering...because of her.

She took his hands suddenly, and looked deep into his eyes. "I know I've done bad things. I know I've hurt you. Hurt Butch. Hurt Boomer. Torn your family apart, and you in the process. I understand that I don't at all deserve your forgiveness, but..." She tightened her grip, eyes filling with tears. "Don't ever forget about me."

Brick pulled her into his arms and hugged her. She had been receiving a lot of hugs lately, but none of them felt quite like this one. This one felt reassuring, passionate, and most of all...hopeful.

"We've both fucked each other over. But the shit we've gone through is what keeps us together. Without you I'd be a complete mess." He muttered into her neck.

She let the smallest smile slip over her face. "I would be, too." She tucked her head into his shoulder and breathed in his sharp smell. "I love you."

He wrapped his arms around her more firmly, protectively. "I love you more."

"Impossible." She mumbled.

He responded with a simple chuckle and they stayed like that, in each other's arms, for what seemed like hours. Completely at peace and with no distractions whatsoever. Yet somehow, Blossom still felt a horrible, deep guilt building up inside her chest and she realized that her apology wasn't enough, it would never be enough...

...

Some people tend to take life for granted. They see the world as a boring and pointless place, a destination in which they can leave at any point. People and events break them down piece by piece until eventually one final step sends them tumbling over a cliff to their death. Do they realize what end they've faced? Any idea what will come after death? No, but it doesn't matter to them. Because in the moment you only feel a terrible, painful, endless, unbearable weight on your chest. An emptiness in your gut. A hopelessness in your heart. Nothing and nobody can make it better at this moment, nothing can save you. You've come to the point of being devoid of any care or emotion. Maybe to some people this event seems selfish. To others, it's a way out, an escape from the constant dread. No matter what it is that causes this feeling, it will always hurt. It will always lead you down a dark path. But you admire that dark path, you want to feel dark and evil, you want the pain to go away. How will the darkness take that pain away? You don't know, yet you still fall into it's devilish claws.

When a person dies, nobody knows for sure where they go. You have to die to know. But if you've lost someone, then you're still alive. Up until the moment of losing someone, you were set on a religion or maybe believed in nothing. Now, you're questioning everything. You have a great hope that they've been sent to heaven and you will one day see them again. Yet a voice in the back of your head tells you that they're gone for good. This statement shatters you completely. The only thing you have left to hang onto is hope. But the initial feeling you receive when someone dies is consuming. It's a burst of confusion, horror, hysteria, disbelief, and a crushing pain that brings you to your knees. Then, after the initial reaction, you find yourself sobbing. Images of that person run through your mind. You refuse to believe it. You don't want to believe it. You insist they're alive, or that you can bring them back. But you soon realize that's not true and that they're gone for good. Words spill out of your mouth uncontrollably. It's a blurry, confusing jumble of a moment that goes on in these hours. Then you pass out, exhausted and filled with emptiness. When you awake you immediately remember the events and break down again. Nothing could ever compare to the feeling. You wish you had been the one to die, not them. They didn't deserve it. Crying, crying, and more crying. Still crying. Crying again. Then regret, terrible, heavy, regret. It hits you hard and you break down, shatter, are absolutely torn. Finally, endless depression. Forever. Because you will never forget them. That depression is the very thing that can destroy you. Maybe the initial discovery of their death caused you to end it all or do something you'd regret. But if you've hit the depression stage and it's been a long time that you've been suffering through it, then things begin to grow worse, that's when you'll finally make the decision. You'll pick up that knife and slit your wrists, no longer caring about anything. Losing someone is so hard. It's not possible to fully explain the true pain or emotions. But when someone you love passes, it could bring about your fate very quickly.

Theres always a choice, for every single thing you ever do, there is a choice. Right or wrong, destiny is set out. Eventually you will choose right, just as eventually you will choose wrong. In the end, it will determine whether you live or die.

Mistakes happen. They can and can't be forgiven. You can get passed a mistake and do better. But when you've made too many mistakes, too many that have harmed people, then theres no way out. Especially when you've been blind the entire time.

Butch was a good person, so good. He never did anything to Blossom that made him deserve to die. But she had an affair with him, she gained his trust and threw it away, she broke his heart, broke his dignity, disrespected him over and over again, then couldn't even save his life after he saved hers. Boomer, he was kind to her. He admired her. He drugged his own brother, was in part the cause of his brother's death, just so he could be with her. It was all about her, and because of that, Butch died. Brick did bad things to her, but made up for them. He kidnapped her because he loved her. He gave her all his love and passion. She returned this with anger, resent, greed, lust, betrayal, and most of all...heartbreak. Brick killed Butch because he hurt Blossom. She was the reason Butch died. She was the true murder.

And yet Boomer was the one sitting in prison, living his days out in starvation and torture. Brick was suffering from the death of his brother as well as the intense passion he felt for his counterpart. Both of them were innocent, but were being punished. Blossom was guilty, and remained untouched.

That wasn't going to last for long. No, she was all about justice, all about equality and respect. She had hurt everyone she cared about and disrespected them all. She deserved only one punishment, only one sentence.

Her pink eyes glared into the mirror sitting in her room. Her hair was perfectly brushed and cascaded over her shoulders. Her clothes were clean and beautiful. Her skin was unblemished and unscarred. How was that fair?

She stood up and strode over to the mirror, raised her fist and smashed the glass with one clean blow. Her knuckles bled, but that wasn't even close to enough punishment.

She spun around and marched to the door, went downstairs and into the kitchen. She yanked a drawer open and pulled out a large Butcher's knife, made sure it was sharp, then returned to her bedroom. Sliding down her wall, she stared at the windows, at the dark, glum town outside. It was all so wrong. She didn't deserve to be happy like this, didn't deserve love and affection. Her gaze fell to her arm and shifted down to her wrist, where she could just barely spot the vein that connected to her heart. The knife grazed her skin and she once again glanced to the window.

Some people tend to take life for granted. Some people are just suffering. Some people are unworthy of life. Some people are oblivious. Blossom, was unaware of how stupid her actions truly were. But most people are. However, her actions were unforgivable. She needed to take her punishment.

Her eyes flickered to the mirror, then to the floor, where a shard of glass laid beside her leg. She carefully picked it up. Her fingers were still wrapped around the knife, she had had a plan, but she couldn't carry it out the way she wanted. She tossed the knife away. She was not going to use a weapon with the same name as her best friend, she was not going to dishonor him like that.

She held up the piece of glass and watched the moonlight glint off the clear object. The first time her and Butch had ever had an actual conversation was at night, and the moon had been glowing so bright.

 _The Mayor had called and said there was a brawl near the outskirts of town. So Blossom quickly left her bed to find the criminals and break it up. She should've taken her sisters with, even if she was a super hero she was still only 12 and men around here were beginning to get sadistically sinister. But her sisters had been sleeping. They had been exhausted from a day filled with crime fighting. Blossom didn't want to wake them for something as simple as a brawl, she could easily handle that._

 _She was walking down the alley, not hearing any noise. Had the Mayor lied? Was he delusional? Could she be walking into a trap?_

 _A metal can rolled passed her feet and she whirled around._

 _Butch Jojo gave her a flirtatious smirk. He was leaning against the brick wall, hands in pockets, just staring at her. How long he had been there? She had no idea. Maybe he had been following her the whole time._

 _The glow of his eerily excited green eyes disturbed her to the point that she had to avert her gaze._

 _"What are you doing here?" She snapped._

 _He flashed her his teeth. "I live here, Pinky."_

 _She furrowed her brows, realizing it was a stupid question. "Right...have you heard a fight going on anywhere around here or-"_

 _"Nah, it's long over." He stated casually._

 _Her mouth remained open._

 _"The idiots never should've challenged me, but hey, not all villains are so smart." He brushed off his shirt._

 _She cocked her head to the side. "You were a part of the fight?"_

 _He nodded._

 _"Oh." She didn't know what to say. Her job was done, the fight was over, so she should return home. But for some reason it seemed as though the green ruff wanted to talk. "You know that's littering." She said as she pointed to the beer can. Her eyes widened. "Hey! You're too young to be drinking!"_

 _He raised an eyebrow. "Hell if I care."_

 _She pursed her lips. He had committed three crimes now; fighting, littering, and drinking underage. She could arrest him...if he wasn't a super-villain. It would be a fight she could definitely win, seeing as Butch wasn't too bright, but at that moment she just wanted to go home and sleep._

 _"You seem a bit tired, Pinky." Butch spoke._

 _Blossom looked up at him and blinked. The moonlight was glowing overhead so she could very clearly see his face, and his dark circles were horrible. Who was he to talk?_

 _"You ain't talking as much as usual." He spoke again._

 _She glared. "That's because you're my enemy and I don't talk to you."_

 _He shrugged. "Unfortunate for you I suppose. You're missing out on all this." He gestured towards his figure._

 _She snorted. "Yeah right." But she had to be honest, he did have a pretty handsome face, not so much body seeing as he was only 12 as well._

 _Butch shifted off of the wall and strode over to her. He picked her hand up, much to her surprise and horror. He whispered, "Until next time, Pinky." Before placing a quick kiss on her hand and disappearing into the shadows._

The entire event had at first disgusted and shocked Blossom. But now she realized that his love for her had started long before high school...and all that time she had ignored him.

She clenched her teeth and tightened her grip on the shard of glass, so tight that a rigid edge pierced her skin and drew blood. The crimson liquid dribbled down her arm slowly, her eyes fixated on it. This was what she deserved; pain. Just like she had given it to others. It was pure karma, finally.

Her heart began to pick up pace as she took a deep breath. She let her eyelids fall, shutting out the memory of Butch. Brick would be so mad. So disappointed. So broken. But it would only be temporary, for the cause of his pain would finally be removed, allowing him a free passage to pure happiness. He could easily find a new girl, one who was true and returned his love, something Blossom could never do. She could never meet his expectations, let alone her own, so why try? It was an impossible challenge. She was not good enough for him, he needed to be happy and pain free. Boomer needed to be released from prison. She had already written a note ordering whoever read it to free the blue ruff. It was a long note, explaining why she was doing what she was and how much she loved everyone in her life. Then at the very bottom, it was signed 'Blossom Utonium The Murder of Butch Jojo.' Maybe that would allow everyone to get over her and not miss her.

A breeze swept in through the window and brushed over her skin, cooling her entire body. She opened her eyes again and stared passed her dark room and at the starlit sky. Whenever she looked at stars she swore they twinkled red, green, and blue. But maybe it was just her imagination.

Her muscles tensed as the time drew nearer. She ran her thumb over the glass and told herself that she had to do it now, before someone showed up and stopped her. She had to get it over with.

The powerpuff leader swallowed hard as she aimed the shard at its target. This would be the answer to everyones problems, the answer to all of her problems. She lifted the glass into the air, releasing a final breath through her lips. This time, the words she spoke were going out to her sisters and Brick.

"Until we meet again." She whispered.

Then the shard of glass was driven into her stomach. A gasp escaped her and she leaned forward in shock, holding onto her wound. At first, she felt nothing at all. Then she coughed and blood splattered across the carpet. The pain instantly hit her and was unlike any other. Tears spilled down her cheeks and blended with the blood that dribbled out of her mouth. She sobbed softly, still clutching the glass that was submerged into her stomach. It hurt so badly. The pain only continued to intensify as all of her senses were taken over and panic began to set in. The area of the wound was throbbing, pulsing. Blood leaked out, soaking her shirt, pants, and the carpet. She tried to hold onto it and stop the bleeding, out of pure instinct, but the liquid flowed through her fingers just as easily. She slammed the back of her head into the wall and stared up at the ceiling. Her vision was beginning to spin and nauseas was rising up her throat. She felt as though she would turn and throw up her entire insides out onto the floor. Then the dizziness set in. Everything was spinning and blurry, she had to close her eyes tightly. But she was growing faint, drifting in and out of reality. She had to have hit her liver because she could clearly tell that she was quickly dying. Her breathing became heavy, she was almost hyperventilating. The sharp taste of iron was thick in her mouth. Then...all at once she felt a sudden calmness wash over her, forcing her eyes shut. Her head drifted off the wall until she was lying on her side. The pain slowly dispersed and she felt completely numb, but giddy at the same time. She felt at peace. Carefully, she fluttered her eyes open to take one last glance at the night sky that she would never see again. And through her blurry gaze, she caught sight of a red streak in the darkness. With the image of two boys and her sisters in mind, she closed her eyes and fell asleep at last, with a withering smile on her face.


	15. Chapter 15

"Where is my knife!?"

The green skin colored leader of the gang trembled in the girl's hold. He didn't know how to respond, for he didn't know what she was talking about. But if he didn't give her the answer she wanted then he was as good as dead. "I-I swear, I don't really know-" Her eyes burned with fury and he quickly continued. "But I saw a man walk down the alley! He's never been in these parts before."

She paused, staring into the one eye that she could see through Ace's broken shades. Her voice lowered so that only he could hear her. "Was he wearing a red hat?"

Ace felt a bead of sweat slip down the side of his face. He stuttered out his response. "Y-yes, he was a-also fly-flying."

Her gaze lowered and the gang leader swore he saw a hint of sadness in her face, but that quickly changed when she returned her angry glare to him. "What way was he heading?"

He extended his shaking arm in the direction she hoped he wouldn't point towards. She grit her teeth before shoving him away. His knees were so weak that he collapsed beside his friends, joining them in agony. Bruises, cuts, welts, broken bones, she had made sure to teach them a lesson. They had committed a crime after all; living.

She turned her back to the weak gang and began down the alley, towards the house she knew all too well.

...

Brick arched his head back as he stared up at the ceiling. His fingers were clenched around a small switch blade, the one he had retrieved from his brother's grave. Winter was coming and he didn't want the metal to rust and wear down, it was too meaningful to be destroyed. He closed his eyes and allowed his mind to drift. So many things had happened in the last month and he still didn't know what to think about it. Hell, he could hardly think at all nowadays. Every time he tried to sleep images of her stiff, unmoving body terrorized his dreams. Nightmare after nightmare, image after image. He had given up on sleep. Because of his lack of sleep, he was constantly nauseas and dizzy, preventing him from eating. The aches of hunger made him almost always angry. He would usually snap at people for no reason and then feel a heavy guilt afterwards. He would have gone crazy by now if it weren't for Buttercup, Bubbles, and Boomer. Yes, he had forgiven his brother. He was the only family he had left. It was easy to forgive him, seeing as they both did stupid things for the love of the same girl and failed miserably. Boomer was broken out of prison by an unknown person. Apparently, they shut down the power system to the highest security prison in the world, which took an unimaginable amount of intelligence combined with strategy. Then, they somehow knew which level Boomer was on and which containment he was in. They were able to open the cell doors by rewiring the password panel. Once the doors were opened, they used a key, taken from one of the guards, to unlock all of Boomer's cuffs. Before he could say anything, the unanimous person left, not leaving a single trace behind. It was a weird story and Brick had a feeling he knew who had helped Boomer escape. If only he could ask that person why...

...

"It's almost 9."

"Yes, Bubbles, I'm aware." Buttercup grumbled as she continued to search for her jacket.

Bubbles released a sigh and strode into the living room. "And she says I take forever."

Her male counterpart stood by the door and urged her over. "We'll make it on time."

She accepted his cozy embrace and snuggled her head against his chest. "But what if we can't get a good seat."

He fingered a lock of her blonde hair. "The sky is the best seat and I don't think anyone else will be sitting there."

She looked up at him and he winked, gaining a giggle from her.

"Ew gross, enough of the cutesy couple bullshit. Let's get this show on the road." Both blues turned to Buttercup.

"Took you long enough!" Bubbles shot back, escaping from Boomer's arms to place her hands on her hips.

The green puff rolled her eyes as she pulled her leather jacket on. "Not my fault my room is a mess."

"Actually-" Boomer was interrupted as the door was thrown open.

Mitch strode into the house and smirked at Buttercup. "I'm here!"

Bubbles blinked at the sudden intrusion. "I thought we were going to pick you up."

Mitch held the door open. "BC texted me saying you guys were gonna be late so I decided to drive on over, save some time."

Buttercup's eyes brightened. "Did you ride your motorcycle?"

The brunette boy held a straight face. "No, why the hell would I bring that shit shack..." As Buttercup's face began to fall, Mitch grinned. "Of course I brought it."

Buttercup's face split into a wide smile and she was outside in a second. The three teens followed the green puff out of the house and watched her get onto the glistening black motorcycle. She gave it a loving, almost childish hug. "Come on Mitch! Go on ahead, we'll meet you guys there." She called to the blondes.

Boomer took Bubbles hand and smiled. "Let's see them try to beat us."

She smirked. "In their dreams." Then the blues took off into the sky as Buttercup and Mitch disappeared down the road, the roaring engine echoing throughout the neighborhood, as the beginning of a very fun night began.

...

Her dark gaze traveled across the city as she sat on the roof of a skyscraper, legs dangling off the edge. The orange sunset glowed over the horizon, but where she perched there was only shadows. Her shoulder length hair swept across her cheek with the cold breeze of evening. She pulled her hood up and crossed her arms to keep warm. Everything was so dull and black in her world now. It seemed that everywhere she went a stormy cloud followed over head. No light could ever brighten up her persona. She was a walking nightmare. Her eyes lost their brightness, lost their hope and joy. The past year showed all too clearly on her face. She had the town's sympathy at one point, but that turned into fear. Anytime she walked down the street, everyone in sight would scurry away. She was dangerous. A ticking bomb. Anger, confusion, terror, sadness, and pain all took over her personality and she could no longer be the person she was. That person was gone. It was eaten alive by the trauma. When that knife went through her body, it might not have killed _her_ but it killed Blossom.

She watched the sun fall below the skyline and cast a purple hue across the atmosphere. She rolled her sleeves up and pushed herself off the edge of the building. The night air hit her face and felt refreshing as ever, she let it take away her thoughts for a moment, before manipulating gravity and sweeping up into the sky. She flew across the many buildings and towers below, leaving the city and entering the quiet neighborhoods outside of it. The white, rectangular house with three oval shaped windows and a perfectly trimmed lawn caught her eye, but she did not stop to see if her sisters were home. She continued down the street until she came to a dead end. A large house marked the end of the road and was placed on the edge of the forest, surrounded by trees. She landed on the rooftop of the lone gray house. Best case scenario would be that there would be only one person inside and that one person would have the item she was looking for. Worst case scenario would be that Ace gave her invalid information and more than one person was inside and she would end up getting in a chaotic battle over nothing. Maybe karma would finally pay her back for all the lives she saved.

Blossom enhanced her x-ray vision and searched the house below her feet. She looked on the top floor, then the second floor, but the only person inside the house was on the bottom floor...and he was the exact person she wanted. Her fingers twitched with anticipation, yearning to punch or smash something. She was angry. Why? Because the best case scenario had turned out? No, it was because she didn't want to fight the person below her. She didn't want to harm him, she had tried to protect him for so long but when he brought her back to life she returned with all hope lost and realized that she couldn't protect anyone, not even herself. But even if she couldn't protect him, that didn't mean she had to hurt him. And yet the item he had was just too important, she needed it. The confusion of it all made her angry and now she worried that she would take that anger out on him. Well...the only thing she could say was;

"Karmas a bitch." Then she flew down to one of the windows and forced it open, hoping this wouldn't take up too much of her time.


	16. Chapter 16

Brick was digging in the refrigerator, hoping to retrieve a can of beer, when he heard the stairs in the living room creak. He slowly turned around and narrowed his eyes at the stairway. Sure, he had super hearing and could hear the smallest thing, so the sound could have been nothing. But something in the air seemed odd and he couldn't disregard the noise. He quickly grabbed a beer before wandering into the living room. It was completely silent, save for the pop of his can lid. Maybe a mouse had gotten into the house. He walked passed the couch, popcorn and video game discs littering the floor, and caught a whiff of an unfamiliar scent. He had never been near a mouse before, but he knew they didn't smell like roses. His suspicions grew. No matter how desperate he was for the attention of his counterpart, Boomer would never wear perfume, even if he was stupid. Brick couldn't think of anything that could cause the smell except for one person. Shivers went down his spine. There was no way that anyone was in the house except for him. He shook his head. No, he was just imagining things out of hopeful stupidity. His exhaustion was getting to him. He pressed the side of the beer can to his forehead, wishing the cold metal would snap him out of his daze. Closing his eyes, he erased the images of _her_ from his mind.

"Leave me."

Brick's eyes shot open, red irises alight with fear. What the hell was going on? Did he really just hear that?

"Let me die!"

He turned in circles, trying to follow the voice.

"LEAVE ME ALONE!"

His heart was racing, as was his mind. Everywhere he looked he found nothing. The voice didn't seem to be coming from any particular location, it was coming from everywhere. No...it was coming from him. From his head. He collapsed on the couch and rested his face in his hands.

"I'm going insane." He muttered to himself, knowing there was no one else in the room. Nightmares, flashbacks, hearing things, what next? Was he going to start seeing her too? 'I can't take it.' He thought. 'This whole thing is so messed up. I need her back, I need to see that she's okay. I want Blossom back.'

He raised his head and stared at the doorway, but no one came through.

* * *

"I can't find the end of the line." Boomer said as he jogged over to the three teens.

Buttercup threw her head back and groaned. "We're never gonna make it in time. The shows gonna be over!"

"Well there goes my night." Mitch scoffed, kicking at the dirt angrily.

Boomer pointed at Buttercup. "You know its your fault. You didn't need that jacket."

Buttercup stared at the blue ruff in shock for a moment before raising her fists. "I didn't see you trying to help me!"

Boomer threw his arms in the air. "Maybe you should learn how to clean your room!"

Buttercup hovered off the ground and got in his face. "I've seen your house before, it's no better!"

"I'm a guy!"

"What's the difference!?"

"The difference is I'M NOT A GIRL!"

"That doesn't answer my question!"

"I know you are but what am I?"

"Stop being retarded!"

"Your gonna eat your words, spit em out, AND EAT EM AGAIN!"

"THAT DOESN'T EVEN MAKE SENSE!"

"ENOUGH!"

Everyone shut their mouthes and turned to Bubbles.

The blue puff had her hands up and a serene look on her face. "Let's all just take a deep breath."

"Like that's gonna get us into the show." Buttercup grumbled.

Bubbles frowned at her sister before extending her arm towards the line. They all followed her arm and blinked at what they saw. The line was gone.

"Now do you want to go turn in our tickets, or should we stay out here and argue?" Bubbles questioned politely.

Buttercup rolled her eyes and quickly stormed over to the ticket booth, her comrades soon following behind.

* * *

She had searched her counterpart's bedroom first, as well as all of the other rooms on the top floor, but there was no sign of the knife. She knew Brick would never leave it somewhere like the kitchen or living room, so that meant he had it, which made her job so much more difficult.

He sat on the couch now with his head in his hands, humiliated with himself. She carefully peered over the couch and saw the handle of the knife sticking out of his pocket. It was possible that she could just take it at this moment and escape as quickly as possible, no violence needed, but so many factors could alter that plan. The best thing to do was to face him.

Blossom went to the kitchen and pulled open one of the counter drawers. She slammed the drawer shut, catching Brick's attention. She stood in the center of the room, waiting for him to run in. But he didn't.

She stepped back into the living room to find her counterpart unmoved, mumbling to himself.

"Stop hearing things. Stop imagining it. You're insane, you're just insane."

Her chest ached at hearing him say that because she knew it was her fault that he felt this way, but it was also partly his own. He was the one who had saved her after all, knowing she wanted nothing more than to die. She turned around and crossed the kitchen to the cupboards. She threw one open and grabbed a stack of plates and let them slip out of her grasp. The sound of shattering ceramic shook the house and she knew that he wouldn't ignore her this time.

* * *

He jumped out of his crazed stupor as the piercing sound of shattering glass split the air. His heart pounded, but not out of fear. He quickly got to his feet and slowly walked to the kitchen, where the sound had erupted. His fists clenched and unclenched, nerves tingling across his skin. He took a deep breath and held it in as he turned the corner, praying it was who he thought it was. But when his gaze fell upon the intruder, it wasn't what he expected. His red eyes went wide. A hooded figure dressed in black leaned against the kitchen counter, head bowed. He took a step towards the stranger and caught a glimpse of glistening orange hair underneath the hood. He bit his tongue, stopping himself from calling out her name. Fortunately, he didn't need to say anything, for she lifted her head at that very second and glared at him with pink eyes. Her gaze shocked him, the emptiness within them frightened him. How could someone who held so much love and strength in the past now have no emotion whatsoever? She reached her fingerless-gloved hands up to the hood and pulled it back, allowing her orange hair to spill out and the light to hit her face. Her skin was pale, dark circles rimmed her eyes, there was a cut above one of her eyebrows and many more on the parts of her body that he could see. She cast a dark aura over the room. Brick began to wonder if this was truly Blossom.

She pushed herself away from the counter and glided forward, eyes never leaving his. "Brick." Her voice was so dull and flat, it was as though his name was poison on her tongue. His throat tightened as she drew closer, so close he could smell her rose scent. He wanted to turn away but his body wouldn't obey his mind. Her eyes were lidded as she approached him, a clear disinterest in everything around her, a careless attitude. She stopped one foot away from him, letting her hand baerely brush against his. He held his breath. "Say my name." She whispered. He stared at her at first confused by her request. She narrowed her eyes at him. "Don't tell me you forgot it." She cocked her head to the side. "You still remember me...right?" She ran her hand delicately up his chest, following the movement with her eyes. His heart hammered as she became so close that he could feel her cold breath on his neck. She let her fingers run down his abs and slowly over to his hip. "You couldn't forget your counterpart." She used her other hand to suddenly grab onto his shirt and pull him against her and he lost all thoughts and comprehensions within that moment. She hissed into his ear, "We're soul mates, Brick." And then, as she backed away, he felt it, the sudden relief in his pocket. His hand shot to it and felt around for an object. When nothing was found, his red eyes snapped to his counterpart, who glared right back at him. In her hand was the knife he had used to kill Butch, his brother. Brick felt many emotions in that minute. He felt anger, for her taking something that belonged to him. He felt fear at this new woman standing before him. He felt longing, for his old counterpart. But he especially felt sadness, that she now held no compassion in her eyes and he knew better than anyone else that when a person lost emotion, it was near impossible to retrieve, especially after what Blossom had been through. His glare softened into a look of hurt.

"Why?" He asked.

She raised an eyebrow, already tucking the knife into her back pocket. "Because he meant more to me than he did to you. You murdered him after all." Her face darkened. "You betrayed your brother, your family, for a girl."

Brick kept his mouth shut, not knowing how to respond and fearing he would choke on his words.

Blossom straightened up. "You're weak, Brick. Weak and stupid, naive. You believed in a happy ending even after all that you had done and continued to do. You believed in the impossible, in a fairytale. Your future with me was as likely as a Rowdyruff boy being one of the good guys." She crossed her arms. "You believed and you killed your brother because of it."

He shook his head. "No, Blossom, I meant why did you turn into..." He gestured towards her. " _This_?"

She pulled her hood back up, covering her face in a pool of shadows. "Because you learn from your mistakes. I made mistakes and I learned. I tried to use my knowledge to make things better for everyone, but you weren't as smart as I. You made many mistakes and learned nothing. You ruined my chance to better things by saving me and so I realized my biggest mistake of all, loving. I loved Butch, I loved my sisters, I loved the Professor, I loved the town, the world, and I loved you." His stomach dropped and he let his eyes flicker away for a second. "But those things all caused me pain and in turn caused everyone else pain. Love destroys us. It is the very thing that can end all wars and no one thing can end a war. Love is difficult and simple. It is safe and dangerous. It is happy and sad. Angry and content. It causes opposites to attract and that is caused by a magnetic field and a field is a border. That border marks the end of achieving greatness and satisfaction. Love prevents life. Love only creates death. And death only hurts because of love." She stated simply. "Love no one and no one can hurt you."

Brick tried to speak, but only a breath of air came out. He was bewildered by her words. Maybe someone was impersonating her, maybe this wasn't the real Blossom. Maybe the real Blossom was somewhere else in the world, maybe she was dead. This couldn't be her...could it? The Powerpuff leader who was so full of pride, kindness, and dedication. Who would do whatever it took to protect the ones she loved. The girl who was followed by her sisters as they fought as one against all evil. Blossom, who's heart was overflown with love...now saw love as evil?

Blossom nodded. "It's a lot for you to take in, but at least now you won't have to worry. Now you know that Blossom is truly gone, for good. You can move on. Create a new and better life." Oddly, even as her voice was overall flat and lifeless, there was still a hint of hopefulness in her eyes. She stared at him for a few more seconds, before averting her gaze and walking passed him. Brick refused to move his eyes from the spot where she had stood as he contemplated everything that had happened, then in one quick motion he snatched her arm and whipped her around to face him.

He glared. "If I have to get over you, then you have to get over Butch." He put his hand out.

Blossom looked to his open palm, then to the hand wrapped around her arm, and finally into her counterpart's eyes. He had regained his sanity and his anger was now boiling. She didn't expect him to let her go easily, not when she had something that was meaningful to him. So instead of arguing, she pulled her arm from his grasp and delivered a fierce, solid blow to his face. He was sent stumbling back, holding his already bruising cheek. Then he looked at her with wide eyes.

"His death was your fault." She hissed.

Brick composed himself. "No, Blossom, I might've put the knife through his body, but you're the one who killed him." He clenched his fists, finally coming to a realization. "You caused everything that lead to his death, you are responsible." He spit out his last sentence with venom. "You murdered my brother."

Blossom, for the first time, showed emotion as her face paled with shock. She dropped her head to stare at the floor tiles, remembering the many times she had stood in that house. The times she had slept with Butch, with Brick, betraying them both. Driving their jealousy to a maddening rage, a wrath of blood lust. Twisting and knotting them around her finger and playing the victim the entire time, even as she was the villain. Her chest began to ache, but she ignored it. This was what she had forced herself to overcome. It wasn't just love that she despised, it was the feeling of regret as well. For love created decisions needed to be made and those outcomes formed regret, regret turned to anger, anger turned to sadness, and all of those overwhelming emotions promoted a stress that tore a person down until there was nothing left of them. Just as it had done to her.

She glanced to the side. "Yes, I am guilty." She stated. "But that doesn't change anything. I _tried_ to fix things. Tried to make amends. But you prevented me from that." She glared at him, pain hiding behind her eyes. "You didn't allow my own fate to fall in my hands, you chose to claim it for yourself. You tore me away from my last hope of dignity. Now I have nothing. This, right now, what I have become, is because of you. So don't try to blame everything on me. You've played the victim as well." Her face grew red with anger. "But now I'm finally going to take control of my life and not worry about anyone but myself."

Brick raised his chin, accepting his counterpart, and ex-lover's new proposal. "Fine." He stated.

She touched the knife that was concealed in her pocket. "And that starts now. You don't get to decide when I get over Butch."

Brick furrowed his eyebrows. "Then you don't get to decide who keeps that knife. It's mine."

Blossom hissed back at him, "Come and get it."


	17. Chapter 17

It started in favor of Brick, his rage overcoming Blossom's carelessness. But soon he became blinded with emotions and his female counterpart outsmarted him. That was how it always went. Brick the stronger. Blossom the smarter. Only this time, the reactions were different. Before, Brick would be the one taunting and serving to further anger his counterpart, but now Blossom was teasing and luring in Brick. The roles had flipped and yet the victor never changed.

Blossom stared down blankly at her fallen enemy. He was bruised and bleeding, as was she, but he unfortunately did not hold the item he had fought for. Instead, Blossom did. The knife had initially been ripped out of her pocket by him but through the battle it had slipped from his grasp and eventually fallen back into hers. He knew his counterpart would somehow win against him, she always did. No matter what, no one, not even he, could match up to her intelligence. Her keen wits. Quick thinking. Meticulous planning. And emotional stability, allowing her the upper hand in every battle. She could pinpoint her enemies weaknesses and manipulate them to her own will, poking and stabbing at the insecurities until her opponent was a dumbfounded mess, easy to defeat. Brick, in all the years he had known her, had not figured out how she was able to find her opponents weaknesses and decide how to act in such short time. Her solutions to problems were instant and never failed. Brick didn't understand it. Couldn't comprehend such intellect. And yet here it stood in front of him. Intelligence once again defeating strength.

Brick stared back at his counterpart, but not into her eyes. He looked at her face and tried to picture it smiling and filled with joy. He tried to recognize something from this girl. He wanted to see just a glimpse of the girl he fell in love with. But the only thing left that resembled his ex-lover was her pink irises. No matter how empty and emotionless she became, her signature color would never be erased. That was all he had left of her and it burned him in a way more painful than a branding iron ever could. He didn't even get to his feet or try to take the knife from her, he simply watched, lying on the ground, hopeless, as she turned to leave.

This no doubt would be the last time he would ever see this girl again. He would never get the chance to hug, kiss, or hold her again. His Blossom was gone. She had died the night he tried to save her. But he was too late, far too late.

"Wait..." He muttered through clenched teeth as he forced himself to sit up, ignoring the sharp pain in his stomach. Blossom paused and looked at him, no sympathy, no pain, no affection, no care in her eyes. She was empty. And yet he couldn't let her leave, not yet. "I know you hate me now. I know you want nothing to do with me or anyone else. I know you hate love and the last thing you want is for someone to-" He winced at the pain in his torso. "Forget it. Blossom, I just need you to know that I never wanted this to happen. Any of this. I didn't want to lose my brother and I especially didn't want to lose you. But if I've learned anything in my life it's that sometimes the best thing you can do is let it go. I saved you once and that's not what you wanted. This time I'm letting you go. I'm going to let go of my feelings. Everything. But only because I love you." He met her gaze. Her eyes were slightly widened. "I love you, I've never stopped loving you. We were created for each other, literally, and we had our chance. I fucked it up. At least now I can fix things. I can do what's right." He sighed heavily and she blinked, a flash of gentleness spreading across her face. "I will love you forever and never stop hoping that you are happy, wherever you are. But just promise me that you won't forget about what we had. Promise you won't forget about me."

Blossom glanced away and then strode over to him. She collapsed down on her knees beside him and looked straight into his dark red eyes. He was confused by what she was doing and then, before he could react, she grabbed the sides of his face and pressed her lips against his. He felt a jolt of electricity shoot through his body and his mind instantly told him to keep her there and not let her go. The softness of her lips, her gentle touch, he reached his hand out to hold her but found only air. He opened his eyes. She was gone. And this time, she was never coming back. Blossom was gone. For good.

* * *

"He won't answer his damn phone." Boomer growled as he punched in his brother's number for the tenth time.

Bubbles nervously held onto her boyfriend's arm, not sure what to do or say.

"Well then go to the house and see what the hell is going on." Buttercup ordered, incredibly irritated with the interruption.

Boomer frowned at her. "He could be in danger."

The green puff scoffed. "He's just being over dramatic."

Boomer pointed an accusing finger at her. "Okay, just because you choose to put the blame on him for Blossom's downfall doesn't mean he is meaningless."

Buttercup stiffened. "Blossom's downfall? That's what you call it?!" Her face was bright red as she turned on the boy. "The whole damn thing started because of him! It was all because the creep couldn't control his hormones! Who fucking kidnaps someone they 'love' and kills their own brother?!"

Bubbles gasped and quickly released her counterpart's arm as electricity sparked across his skin. She backed up, eyes wide.

Boomer growled at the green eyed girl. "Your little leader was the one who hoed around and broke the hearts of the guys she supposedly 'loved' just because she couldn't resist being a slut! She's the reason for Butch's death, she's the tease who made Brick snap, she's the cause of her own downfall!"

Buttercup's eyes lit up in fury. "What the fuck did you just call her?"

Boomer hissed back, "A manipulative, betraying slut."

Bubbles could do nothing but turn away and cover her ears as the fighting quickly turned physical. She hoped and prayed that some sort of distraction would stop the two.

* * *

'Why didn't you just try again?'

'How can you still live with yourself?'

'Wouldn't it be so much easier to just end things?'

'What is stopping you?'

'Who is stopping you?'

The wind blew harshly against her back, edging her off the roof. Pink eyes glared down at the road, visualizing her fatal fall. So many possible ways to die and yet none of them seemed appealing enough. Or maybe it wasn't the appeal but rather a voice in the back of her mind telling her now was not the time. She couldn't figure out why she couldn't kill herself a second time, why she couldn't summon up the courage and strength. It wasn't that she didn't have the will power to do it, she definitely did, but a figure dressed in red kept invading her thoughts yelling at her to stop.

Brick.

She knew he wanted her alive and well even after today's events. Why? Because he loved her. But did she love him back? That was a question she no longer could answer. She had loved him however after her attempt at suicide she now despised the word love. It made a person weak and vulnerable...but it wasn't like she needed to protect herself from anyone or anything at this point, so what did she need strength for? Everything was so confusing. She wished she could erase all of her memories from the past year and just start over. But that wouldn't bring Butch back. That wouldn't heal her and Brick's relationship. That wouldn't bring her back to her sisters. So at least she knew what her underlying problems were and yet it still didn't explain why after her 'resurrection' it appeared as though a switch had been turned on and all of her worst features came to life. She couldn't even think clearly when she became angry, it sort of just blinded her and she acted out. She didn't contemplate her actions until after she had calmed down. She hadn't flipped out on Brick, not like she did on the Gang Green Gang, but she did manipulate and taunt him. She seduced him into bewilderment, pushed him towards trust, encouraged his rage, then awoke his pain, all while having only one thought in her mind 'get the knife.' God, it hurt her to think about the horror she had caused him but now he saw her as the evil snake she was and hopefully he would be able to forget about her. Because even though she was a terrible person who no longer believed in love and had only darkness in her life, she still wanted Brick and her sisters to be happy. And the only way for that to happen was for her to leave their lives. But still, something told her that that was not the right thing to do.

* * *

Bubbles was quickly becoming fed up with the two arguing teens, especially with the added fact that Brick could be in danger. It wasn't that she particularly liked the red ruff, after all that had happened, with the kidnapping and such, but he was still considered a friend in her book and she was concerned for him. She also was not keen on her sister and boyfriend fighting. So she decided to end the fight.

"I am so going to destroy you you filthy piece of-!" Boomer slugged Buttercup across the face, interrupting her speech.

"Who's the toughest fighter no-" Buttercup shot the blue ruff down with her laser eye beams.

Boomer growled and prepared to pounce, Buttercup copying the action. Just as they leapt at each other, a light blue energy shot them both down.

"THAT IS ENOUGH!" Bubbles hollered, her voice deep as it filled with rage. "BOTH OF YOU ARE ACTING LIKE CHILDREN AND IT IS PATHETIC!" She looked between the two teens. "Now, Brick is in possible danger and we are not going to stay here and act immature all night. Buttercup you take Mitch back home. Boomer, you and I are going to check on Brick. If anything goes wrong, I'll call you Buttercup."

There was no response.

"IS THAT UNDERSTOOD!?" Bubbles roared and the three teens all nodded their heads rapidly.

Bubbles tone returned to being sweet. "Good, now come on let's go."

She took off into the air, Boomer soon following behind her as a dumbfounded Mitch and Buttercup were left behind.

* * *

His skin went cold as he spotted a head of red hair standing on the edge of the building. He immediately knew who it was, even though her back was to him. Fear rose within him as he pondered whether to approach her or not. She could attack him, she was angry, but he felt the sudden urge to reach out. He had to speak to her.

"Blossom." He called to the lone figure.

She turned her head back so that he could see her glistening pink eyes. She was crying. His heart skipped a beat at seeing her in pain.

"Brick." She whispered, tears slipping down her pale cheeks.

Without thinking, he held out his arms and to his great surprise, she accepted his warm embrace, burying her face in his chest as she sobbed quietly. As she cried, he slowly ran his fingers through her soft locks of crimson hair, closing his eyes and letting his thoughts drift away. He was savoring the moment; the feel of her fragile frame once again in his hold, the soft scent of roses wafting into his nose as his head snuggled against hers, the gentle shivers that she made while she cried. He had missed this so much, holding her. She belonged with him forever. He wouldn't let her go, not this time.

"I love you so much." He murmured.

She didn't respond, as she was still crying. He tightened his embrace and attempted to soothe her by rubbing her back. After a few minutes, her shaking calmed and she was able to turn her sobs into soft whimpers. Brick waited for her trembles to cease before bringing her face back so he could meet her eyes. He gingerly brushed away her tears with his thumb, admiring his gorgeous counterpart's features. Her full red lips, lightly blushing cheeks, small and cute nose, and then those eyes. He sucked in a breath at seeing her stunningly bright irises, unaware of the dangerous glare he was receiving until she spoke.

"Are you a complete idiot?" Her voice snapped.

He blinked, completely taken aback by her sudden disdain.

She pushed away from him, forcefully shoving him onto the ground so she could glower down at him.

He felt his stomach drop, fearing she would leave once again. "Blossom, I was just trying to help. You were cry-"

"Because of _you_." She hissed venomously. Her face had returned to it's stone cold, empty state. "Did you really think that I would come back to you? After all that's happened? You didn't even try to find me, to pursue me, after you stopped me from dying. You said you loved me. How is this love?!" Her eyes were filled with insanity. "We can't be together Brick! It's poisonous. This-this 'thing' we have just can't go on."

Brick stood and reached for her hands but she pulled away. "Blossom, _please_ there must be some way. We were made for each other, i-it can't be the end. God, Blossom, I'm begging you don't let it end here. I need you."

Her expression darkened. "If you truly loved me, you would know how to fix this. If by some incredible chance there happened to be a way to mend this disaster then you would figure it out. But trust me when I say the only way you'd have even a slight chance is if you remembered what made me fall in love with you in the first place. Without that, this relationship is history."

She tried to leave but Brick refused. In a flash, he spun her around and forced her hands into his, getting low in her face as he growled. "This relationship will never be over, ever. You will be mine forever, do you hear me? Forever. Nothing will ever change that. I _will_ find the solution and when I do you'll see that I am being as honest as I ever have been when I say I love you. You and I, we are destined for each other and soon you will believe that too."

This time, Brick pushed away from her, glaring as she stared at him in shock. But she quickly wiped away the surprise and replaced it with a grin.

"Now that's the Brick I know. The leader of the Rowdyruff boys has returned." She chuckled. "Now wake up."

Brick blinked at her.

She got into his face suddenly and shouted, "WAKE UP!"

Brick gasped as two hands grabbed onto his shoulders and shook him awake. He looked around in a panic to see Boomer standing over him, clearly distressed, and Bubbles behind him.

"Dude!" Boomer yelled in frustration at his brother.

Brick rubbed his forehead, feeling a headache coming on from all the yelling.

"What the hell happened?" Boomer questioned worriedly, eyeing Brick's bruised face and bandaged torso.

The red ruff swung his legs over the couch to sit up properly, still dazed from the dream.

"Boomer, give him a minute." Bubbles quietly spoke to her counterpart.

Brick shook his head. "Its alright, I'm fine. I just uh-" He glanced at the blue puff. "-I'd like to speak with my brother alone for a minute."

Bubbles nodded and hurriedly exited the room, knowing Boomer would fill her in on all of the important details later.

Brick released a sigh as his brother took a seat beside him. "I'm sorry, I was exhausted and took a quick nap. I didn't think-"

"She came back, didn't she." Boomer stated.

Brick nodded. "She did, but not for me. Not for anyone. She just wanted the knife back."

Boomer frowned. "What kni-" His eyes widened as he realized. "Oh..."

Brick furrowed his brows. "I mean I shouldn't have been surprised. Everything in the past year happened so fast and she was so innocent, it all just came crashing down on her too hard. She broke and I only made it worse." He rested his elbows on his knees. "But ya know, I was only doing what I thought was right. And hell, I've never been good at that. I'm an ex-villain for Christ's sake, how the fuck would I know what's right? Still...I think we can all agree that saving her life was the best thing to do. Letting her die, fuck that, I ain't gonna let her life end there, not like that. She's meant to do great things. She _has_ done great things. Her destiny is to be a hero and she doesn't believe that right now. She's lost, she's hurt. But I'm going to show her the way. I'm going to get her back. I _will_ bring her back. Because it's our destiny, to be together." His red eyes regained their confidence. "The problem is I don't know how to fix her."

Boomer looked at his brother intently, listening to his every word.

"When she came here today, she said that she hates love. She said that love destroyed her life and is the cause of death. Then she told me that death would have been her last chance at dignity and I took it away from her. Her whole viewpoint of the world flipped upside down. How do I turn it right side up?" Brick met his brother's gaze, hoping for some sort of advice.

Boomer narrowed his blue eyes. "A person can not be changed unless they want to be." He said. "Show her something that will make her want to be her old self again. Show her what she has become and what she is doing to her family and friends." He leaned forward and spoke lowly. " _Hurt_ her."

Brick's eyes widened. "What?"

"Put her through emotional pain again and while she is vulnerable show her why she has to change." Boomer explained.

Brick contemplated his words for a moment before nodding. "Thanks bro." He placed a hand on the blue ruff's shoulder. "But when did you get so smart?"

Boomer scratched the back of his neck. "Well, you see, Bubbles used these same steps to change me into a good guy. She's been teaching me a lot about redemption."

Brick released a relaxed chuckle. "I'm glad to have my brother back."

Boomer laughed as well as Brick pulled him into a one-armed hug, both brothers grateful to have each other.

* * *

"Look at this piece of shit." A matured man's voice rang through the alley. He gave the boy on the ground a rough kick. "How pathetic."

A group of men circled around a helpless preteen, shoving and kicking him repeatedly, while teasing him verbally. They all wore ragged, black clothing and had hoods pulled over their heads.

The 'leader' of the group pulled a knife from his pocket and flipped it around in his hand, eying the boy who had fallen to his knees.

"How much money you got on ya?" He questioned the young teen.

"N-none. I used my pocket money to-to buy lunch." The boy stuttered.

The man's face fell and he tightened his grip on the knife. "We talked about this, little boy. You bring me money every week and in turn, I don't hurt you."

The teen sniffled, knowing what was coming next.

The man raised his knife.

" _DROP IT_." A dark voice ordered.

The knife clattered to the ground.

Pink eyes filled with rage, a girl stepped out of the shadows and into the moonlight. All of the men immediately put their arms in the air and dropped to their knees. Blossom walked closer to them, until she was directly in front of the leader.

She grabbed onto his collar and lifted him off the ground. "You're going to return all of the money you stole to him, down to every last penny. Do I make myself clear?"

The man nodded and she threw him into the brick wall, watching as he broke through it and was knocked unconscious. Then she turned to the other men, a dark expression on her face.

"Stand up." She demanded.

They did as told, except for the teen boy who's leg was bent at an awkward angle, preventing him from standing.

Blossom picked up the knife that had fallen to the floor on her order and glanced at the men who were in a circle around her. In one quick motion, she slashed every single man's throat, leaving them to gasp and collapse to the cement. Blood oozed out all around her, but she stepped over it and approached the boy.

He stared up at her in pure terror, shivering.

Her pink eyes softened as she looked down at him. She opened her palm and offered it to the scared boy. He hesitated, unsure whether or not to trust her.

"I won't hurt you." She spoke, her voice incredibly gentle and smooth. This reassured the boy and he placed his hand in hers. She pulled him up and helped him balance on one foot. "Where do you live?" She asked, looking into his innocent blue eyes.

"At the end of the alley, in the apartment building." He answered.

Blossom nodded before scooping him up into her arms. "I'll bring you to the hospital to get fixed up and will check in on you at your house everyday this week to make sure your money is returned and those men don't bother you any further."

Before the boy could say anything, she took to the sky, not noticing that the boy was gazing at her the whole time, thinking he was in a superheroes arms.


	18. Chapter 18

"So, now that you know the full story...what do you think I should do?" Brick asked the three teenagers seated across from him.

Bubbles was the first to respond. "I agree with Boomer's idea. Making someone vulnerable allows them to see another perspective. It may be the only way to open her eyes to what she's become."

Boomer smiled lightly and grasped her hand.

She smiled back at him. "The only issue is _how_ to put her in an emotional state again."

Silence was cast over the group. Boomer and Bubbles shared a glance, unsure what could be done. Brick chewed the inside of his cheek, trying to think up an answer.

"Hurt someone she loves." Buttercup stated.

Everyone looked to her.

She set her face in a stoic expression. "The death of Butch pushed her over the edge and caused all of this. Threaten the life of someone she cares just as much about and she just might fall apart again."

Boomer nodded. "But who?"

Brick shook his head. "She said she doesn't love anyone anymore."

Buttercup responded, "Actually, from what you told us, she said she hates love and believes it causes pain. She didn't exactly say that she didn't love anyone."

Boomer piped in. "Well, it can't be me."

Brick leaned back. "It's going to have to be one of you." He said, looking at the puffs.

Boomer tightened his grip on Bubbles' hand. "Hell no, Bubbles is not getting involved. Blossom is dangerous right now."

Buttercup grit her teeth. "Would you stop insulting my sister!" She took a deep breath to relax. "I can do it."

Brick clasped his hands together. "Great then-"

"But it wouldn't work if I did." She finished.

Boomer raised an eyebrow at the green puff. "Why not?"

"Because she doesn't love me like she loved Butch...like she loves Brick." Her gaze fell on the red clad boy, who's eyes widened.

"What do you mean? You're her sister, she-"

Bubbles cut him off. "We may be her sisters but you're her counterpart. You were created for her and therefore share a deeper bond with her than we do, as much as it hurts to say. You two have a love that can't perish. You would hurt her more than we could."

Buttercup agreed. "Along with that, she already feels guilt for leaving you and clearly is trying to avoid feelings that she still holds for you."

"And to know that she caused the death of both of her lovers would destroy her like nothing else can." Boomer added.

Brick pinched the bridge of his nose. "I swear if you guys are wrong about this..."

"Brick." Bubbles spoke, catching the ruff's attention. "We know our sister, you can trust us."

He sighed heavily and covered his face with his hands. "Okay, fine. I'll do it."

The teens released a silent breath of relief.

"So..." Buttercup started, looking at Brick. "What's the plan, leader boy?"

* * *

A small smile slipped onto Blossom's face as she looked down at the photo in her hands. It pictured her sisters happily grinning at the camera, arms around each other. Bubbles and Buttercup had always had such a deep sisterly bond, something that Blossom didn't have with either of them. It might have been due to the fact that she was the leader and acted as more of a motherly figure to them than a sister. Or it could have been simply that she didn't share many similarities with her siblings. No one ever understood her or truly melded with her. No one except for Brick. He was the only person who could ever predict what she was going to do. He knew everything about her because he was just the same.

She sighed and ran her thumb across the photo.

Her sisters didn't even know her as good as Brick did. He truly was her soul-mate, her destiny. If only she could have treated him the way he treated her, then none of this ever would have happened.

"I'm sorry." She whispered to herself, wishing she could say it to Brick. But she couldn't. If she tried to see him again it would only hurt him more. He needed to get over her and to do that she had to avoid him. Maybe...when he finds someone else...she can visit him again. But until then, visiting hours are over.

"No they're not."

Blossom grabbed her head. "Shut up."

"You can still fix what you've done."

She clenched her teeth.

"You're not changing anything by hurting him more."

"This is for the best!" She shouted.

"NO!" The voice roared. "You are destroying everyone who loves you! You are taking your pain and giving it to them! This is not facing your problems! This is AVOIDING them!"

Blossom shook her head.

"Do you want them to go through the same things you did!?"

"No!" She called back.

"Do you want them to kill themselves like you did!?"

"No!" Her voice was strained.

"THEN OPEN YOUR EYES AND DO THE RIGHT THING!"

"I DON'T KNOW HOW!" Her voice cracked and she broke into a fit of sobs, tears spilling down her cheeks as she cried out to the imaginary voice within her head. Soon, the only sound that could be heard was her crying. "I don't know how." She whispered, burying her face in her arms and pulling her knees to her chest.

And she stayed like that for the rest of the night, wishing someone could stop the insanity growing within her.

* * *

"So...are you sure you're ready?" Buttercup asked as the group gathered outside of the ruff's house.

Brick released a heavy sigh. "I don't really have a choice. The sooner I act, the sooner she'll be back."

Bubbles placed a gentle hand on his arm. "If anyone can save her, it's you."

He tilted his head back and looked up at the darkening sky. "The calm before the storm."

The others followed his gaze and saw the purple clouds rolling in.

"Promise me you will try everything and nothing less to bring her back." Buttercup spoke to the red leader.

Brick met her glare. "I promise...because if she doesn't come back, neither do I."

Boomer held his breath and turned away.

"I know Blossom is still in there. You just have to break her out of the prison she's trapped in." Bubbles told Brick.

He nodded. "I'll do my best." He turned to them. "I have to go now, before she moves positions."

Boomer reached his hand out and Brick took it, before pulling his blue clad brother into a tight embrace.

"I still need you bro." Boomer mumbled into Brick's shoulder.

Brick patted his back. "I already let Butch down, I won't make the same mistake again."

Boomer pulled away and gave him a nod of approval.

Buttercup jabbed her finger into the red ruff's chest. "She dies, you die."

Bubbles smiled apologetically at him. "We need our sister like you need your brother, please bring her back."

Brick gave them the smallest smile. "Tomorrow you will have her back."

And then he took off into the sky.

It didn't take long to find her because they had tracked her down earlier, secretly, and ran over the plan once more before putting it into action. Brick landed in the cemetery, still too far away for her to notice him. He had to take deep breathes to calm himself down as he watched her. His eyes were glued to her figure as she sat on a tombstone, back facing him. Her red hair looked like live flames as it moved with the wind, he knew that her eyes would be filled with fire too once she saw him. That didn't matter though, he expected her to be angry, _wanted_ her to be angry, so that he could build up her emotions to the point that she couldn't bare them.

He took the first step towards her and closed his eyes briefly. His next actions would determine the fates of so many people. No Blossom, no Brick. No Brick, no Boomer. No Boomer and Blossom, no Bubbles. No Bubbles, no Buttercup. No Powerpuff girls meant the end of everything because the world would no longer have protection against evil. The world depended on him. How ironic was that? Him, a villain, was now Earth's last hope. Who would have thought. God, how could he be sure that he succeeded? That he didn't fuck everything up?

"Because you love her." He whispered to himself, being sure she couldn't hear him. He wanted to laugh. How funny it was that she told him to get over her. After all he had done, all they had been through, to end just like that? No. He wouldn't let it happen. He wouldn't let her go so easily. How could she be so smart and yet such a fool. Could she really not see that they were meant to be? Well he could, and that's all that mattered.

He began forward. His heart rate gradually increased with every step and it quickly grew so loud he swore she would hear it. But why would it matter if she heard? He wanted her to notice him. That was the point...wasn't it? Yes, he needed to stop second guessing his plan. If he was going to do this, then he had to have confidence. He had to embrace the leader within him. He had to be a ruff.

"Blossom." His voice was soft and seemed to be swept away by the wind, unheard.

She did not move, didn't make any motion to suggest she was aware of his presence. But she did speak. "Why are you prolonging this?"

He chewed the inside of his cheek, contemplating what he could say.

"Don't be afraid of me..." She mumbled, still not facing him. "Please."

His chest ached at the sound of her desperate voice. It was just a trick, though. He wouldn't let her trick him twice. She simply wanted to toy with his emotions and pull him apart piece by piece until he was weak and easy to destroy, to toss away like garbage.

He moved closer to her, around the tombstone she was seated on, and placed himself directly in front of her. He looked down at her small figure, wanting her to meet his gaze. "Not even you can scare me."

Her expression changed into one of confusion, but she had no response.

"Look at me." He ordered, not at all kind nor sympathetic.

She turned her head away and let her hair fall over her face. "You can't tell me what to do anymore."

For some reason, those words hurt him, but he didn't let it stop him. "Do you wanna test that statement? Or are you going to be a good little girl and do what I say?" His voice was dark and caustic.

That's when her eyes met his and he blinked, not able to contain the shock. He had never seen so much pain, desperation, guilt, and horror in someone. Her eyes were so bloodshot that he could hardly differentiate her irises from her scleras. He frowned.

"Why, why do you have to do this? To me, to us, to everyone?" He glared down at her and suddenly grew furious. "What the fuck is your problem? Do you have any idea how many people love and care for you!? How many people would give their life just so you could live one more day? And yet you throw that all way. You forget about all the people you ever loved, that you ever fought for and protected, just because one person left your life. You know, Butch was my fucking BROTHER and I'm just fine. I didn't try to kill myself. I didn't decide to stop loving everyone and disappear from the face of the Earth. I still fight, everyday, I continue getting up out of bed and going through the day because I know that my life is worth living. I know that things will get better. I know that even if I made mistakes, even if I fucked up other people, even if I was at one point a villain, that I can still become a good person and learn. This lifetime is too fucking short to just give up. You have to realize that we were made for a reason. Jesus, you were made because the Professor saw that there was no good in the world. You reminded people why there was a reason to live. You were a hero. Then I was created _for you_. And sure, it was originally to destroy you. But look at me now, I'm a good person. Here I am trying to save you. When you're the one who should be saving me because I'm not the hero, you are. That's the whole fucking point of what I'm saying. You have a destiny set out for you. Just because Butch is gone doesn't mean that you can give up. So many fucking people need you. If you go, I go. Then so does Boomer. Your sisters. The world. Happiness. So really, what you're doing is selfish to the core. You're blocking out your pain and ignoring your mistakes so that you can be happy whilst everyone else is suffering. Your sisters won't fight without you. I can't live without you. The world can't survive without you. This is about more than just you! Don't you see that? Your choices affect more than just a few people. We need you. Your sisters need you. I need you. You can't just give up Blossom!"

He shouted out the last sentence and stared at her in rage, face red, panting heavily. But he didn't care, he just wanted her to hear him, NEEDED her to hear him.

She felt her breath hitch in her throat and a pain unlike any other hit her so hard that she broke down in a fit of sobs. Her body slid off the tombstone and she landed on the ground, crying so hard it hurt. She had never in her life felt a sadness as great as this. It was as though everything around her turned black and rain was pouring down on her, making the world collapse and her heart sink. But this wasn't a sadness that made her want to die, this wasn't a sadness that made her feel guilty, this wasn't a sadness that made her hate love. This sadness made her open her eyes through the tears and see what was really happening. The voices in her head had been right all along. What she had been doing was wrong. Her sisters needed her at their side, to lead them, like she was born to do. Brick needed her. Boomer needed Brick. If she had let Butch down, then she couldn't possibly hurt Brick or Boomer too. That was too much. She couldn't die knowing she had killed two people. No. No, she had to stop this NOW.

"Brick..." She dug her palm into her eyes and rubbed away the tears. Then she looked up at him and grabbed him by his arm, yanking him down in front of her. She stared deep into his crimson eyes, so filled with confidence and love. How could she ever have been so blind and selfish. He was her everything, she couldn't possibly deny her love for him. Not after realizing how much she meant to him. He was right, they were meant to be. She used her sleeve to wipe away the tears that continued to flood down her cheeks. "Brick...I-" Her heart hurt so bad for him. God, she couldn't describe how terrible she felt. She wanted to fix things then and there. But she knew it would take time. But she could at least start off on good terms.

She sniffed quietly and blinked, allowing another stream of tears to spill. But then a warm touch brushed them away. It was the most gentle touch she had felt in a long time and she leaned into it, only to feel nothing. Her eyes opened and she gasped. Brick was inches away from her, his smoky scent thick and comforting. She longed to throw her arms around him and never let go. But after what she had done? The way she tricked him just so she could get the knife?

Her body suddenly leaned away from his and he frowned, terrified of what she might do. And then she extended her arm out to him and he looked down. The knife lie in her palm.

She had no words to say. No way to express her remorse. Sorry couldn't cut it. She knew that. But maybe...this could at least mollify the wounds a tad?

Brick cautiously picked the blade up and then looked to her. She had her head down, but no more tears fell.

"Blossom..." He spoke so softly and kindly.

She shook her head. 'How, how can he be so sweet? How can he not pin me to the ground and take my life right now? God, no, you idiot! This is why you've been so blind this whole time. You're too caught up in your own selfish guilt. Stop thinking about yourself for once!'

She locked eyes with him and gave him the smallest smile, the only smile she could muster. "Brick." And then, not caring whether she deserved to make the move or not, she leaned as far forward as she could and pressed her lips to his.

Brick was shocked at first. It was so similar to his dream. But...this wasn't a dream, and he couldn't resist her. So he cupped her face in his hand and pulled her closer to him, melding his lips to hers and admiring her sweet scent that he had missed. Caring not a bit that things might play out just as they had in his dream.

She rested her hands on either of his shoulders, letting her fingers barely brush against the nape of his neck, feeling his soft hair under his hat. God, how she wanted to run her hands through it. How she wanted to be held in his strong hold. How she wanted to feel his hands on her body. But for now, this was enough to satisfy her. This was enough to show him that she was still Blossom. She was still his Blossom.

"I love you, Brick. I'll always love you." She whispered, pulling away from his lips and resting her forehead against his, eyes closed so she could savor the feel of his hand on her face, of his hot breath on her skin, of his delicious smell. "I've been oblivious this whole time. But slowly, I started to realize how desperate I was to do the right thing and something told me that leaving was not the right thing. I don't know how, I don't know why, but I knew that you would help me. That you would open my eyes to my mistakes and you did just that." She looked him in the eye. "I need you to know that I've always still been in here, Blossom isn't gone. I was just lost. I was hurt and lost. And no, I don't want to make this at all about me, but I need you to understand. I just...I don't know how to prove to you that I'm back, I'm me."

He looked back at her for a while, also wondering how he could know that she was back and not just tricking him.

She bit her lip and turned away, blushing.

And he knew.

"Your eyes." He said, turning her face to his and she frowned. "They're pink again." He spoke softly and put his forehead against hers. "I'm glad you're back. I love you...forever, Blossom."

She felt a weight lift from her chest and she immediately tossed her arms over his shoulders and collapsed into him, smiling the biggest smile she ever had. "Forever and ever, Brick."

And he tucked his face into her hair, cuddling her close to his body, never letting go.

* * *

Love is such a complicated specimen. So many words can be used to describe it. So many emotions are involved in the process of 'loving'. No one will ever be able to pinpoint the utter reason for the feeling of love. It isn't possible to identify in scientific terms. It's a fantasy of sorts, an unrealistic, purely hope based, object. Love is like religion, we have it simply to have faith that there is something to look forward to. We use it to take away from the harsh reality. So then why is love so impeccably painful? Why does it cause us to fall into insanity, into anger, depression, heartbreak? If love is meant to be hope, then why does it lack the very thing it was created from? It can be happy and enticing at times, but overall love is evil. It breaks humans down worse than physical pain ever could. In what world does that make sense? Why is it so widely promoted and cherished?

Blossom frowned down at the essay in her hands. She couldn't help but feel disdain towards the writer. It wasn't just their opinion on love, but also their ignorance. They must not have considered the fact that without love, everyone would be empty, and what is there to life without fulfillment? Yes, love may be painful, but without it there would be no emotion, no point to existing. Love is not hope, hope is love. Hope grows from the feeling of love. So, in the end, without love there would be nothing. Absolutely nothing. And Blossom couldn't say that she liked the sound of there being nothing. And the irony of that was she had believed the same thing as this writer. She was so clueless and blindsided that she lost sight of the true meaning of love. Every villain needs a victim and that was hers. It was only thanks to Brick that she was able to recognize her vapid perspective. Without him, she would still be stuck in a dark hole.

She was about to light the paper on fire when two arms snaked around her waist. She gasped, not able to react quickly enough and resultantly was thrown onto her bed and pinned down.

"I thought we talked about this?"

She rolled her eyes at her boyfriend, who was now on top of her, trying to intimidate her. "I was reading something important. It's not like I'm gonna get hurt. I have super powers!"

Brick raised an eyebrow. "Oh so if that new evil genius...what's his name...Dorkster?"

"Dexter." She corrected him.

He nodded and continued. "If Dorkster were to sneak up behind you and blast you with Antidote X, your powers would protect you? Or what if he just chopped your head off with one of his stupid machines?" He smirked at her angered expression. "You're not invincible, babe."

She growled and pushed him off of her. "I never said I was!" She walked towards the window and looked out at the evening sky, taking a deep breath to push away her frustration. Her next words were spoken softly. "But I know you've always got my back." She glanced over her shoulder at him and smiled.

He stood beside her and intertwined his fingers with hers. "I'm not saying I don't. I just can't imagine you getting hurt. I want you to be safe at all times, especially when you're not with me."

She sighed. "Brick, you've always been too protective."

His face flashed with hurt.

She giggled, waving her hands . "I don't mean it in a bad way! I think it's cute." She wrapped her arms around his neck and slowly rested her head against his chest, listening to his heart beat. "It reminds me that I'm dating a ruff."

He didn't know how to take that comment. Was it good that he was a ruff? Or did it mean he was still a villain...? God, why was he so bad at interpreting her words all of a sudden?

"I didn't mean that in a bad way either." She snickered, practically reading his mind, which wasn't at all unusual.

Brick chuckled and embraced her small frame, snuggling his face into her silky hair.

"So what happens now?" She asked, her eyes focused on the horizon settling into a soft lilac hue.

Brick followed her gaze and looked upon Townsville. "Now, we make it official."

Blossom furrowed her brows and arched her head back to glance up at her counterpart. He saw her questioning expression and smirked devilishly.

"Blossom..." He began, releasing her from his grasp so that he could step back. She stared at him in confusion until he dug into his pocket and bowed before her. Her heart skipped a beat. Brick gazed up at her with his glowing crimson eyes and opened the box, revealing the most gorgeous object she had ever seen. A silver banded ring with a glistening red diamond sparkled up at her. A lump formed in her throat, halting her breath. Brick took her hand and he looked so handsome in that moment. His deep, husky voice rang through her ears as he spoke, "Will you marry me?"

And she immediately nodded her head, tears flooding down her cheeks, as she leapt into his arms and caused them both to collapse to the floor. She sobbed into his chest. "Yes, yes I'll marry you."

He grabbed her face and pressed a fierce kiss against her lips. "I love you, Bloss."

She met his eyes, a smile strung across her face, and whispered back, "I love you too, Brick."

The End


End file.
